Well at the Mossgreen-Webb's Important Paintings & Contemporary Art in Auckland on 29 November, 2017, it was. Yes I know I have said it before ''that fact is often stranger than fiction''. Well I am saying it again only two days later.
I find the wonderful bonus from attending auctions is the enrichment factor, if you sit on your hands and tonight was certainly no exception.
The highlight of being able to attend this sale was to witness a classic auction room battle - one bidder on the phone and the other in the room.
The contest was over a small but beautifully executed rendering of a Maori chief delineated in Sydney in February 1835 by Charles Rodius, and artist of German origin, schooled in Paris, convicted of theft in London and sent to Sydney where his artistic ability was quickly recognised.
The small 20.5 x 10.5 cm charcoal, graphite and watercolour on paper entitled Atay Chief of Otargo (sic), New Zealand had a presale estimate of $70,000-$90,000 and in presale conversation a figure of around $75,000 was mentioned.
Bidding opened at a respectable $50,000 and quickly rose in $5,000 increments to $110,000 slowing down to $2,000 rises. At $130,000 the phone bidder dropped out, with the work selling to a very discreet bidder in the room. The powerful drawing is to stay in New Zealand, and be permanently housed in the Hocken Library in Dunedin (which is our equivalent to the Mitchell Library in Sydney). The Director of the Hocken Library, Sharon Dell, had made the journey to Auckland with the express purpose of repatriating the work back to the turangawaewae or the ''standing place'' of the sitter, a fine strong young Maori Chief with a full facial moko (tattoo).
The Hocken Library has a very rich collection of New Zealand art and history and this significant addition to their collection has the blessing of the powerful tribal authority, Ngai Tahu. The return of this ancestor after an absence of nearly 200 years will be a momentous occasion for the tribe and the wider community.
After bearing witness to that rather special bit of art history everything else seemed an anti-climax.
Although the auction had rather mixed results there were some other highlights, including a Michael Harrison acrylic on paper, entitled Opportunity (Lot 3 ) that sold for $14,500, more than twice the top estimate of $7,000. while Leo Bensemann's last ever painting, Takaka in the Rain (Lot 26 ) completed before his death in January 1986, sold for $16,000, just $2,000 under the high estimate.
Another battle saw the Graham Sydney painting oil on linen entitled Albatross (Lot 28 ) bid up to $60,000, which was $5,000 below the low estimate and sold subject to vendor approval, while a very large and impressive oil on canvas entitled Opening (Lot 52 ) by Peter Siddell also sold subject to vendor approval for $170,000. This work was originally in the collection of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and carried a presale estimate of $190,000 - $250,000.
A Michael Illingworth untitled oil on canvas (Lot 53 ) was chased to $51,000 against an estimate of between $30,000 - $40,000.
The auctioneers commented that "although a number of works in the auction were sold conditionally on the night, many have sold this morning and major sales are expected to be made over the day" and they "are looking forward to presenting the collection of Peter Jarvis and Helene Phillips tonight.”
