Australia

MacDonald of Glengarry (Tartan) Chromolithograph. 1886. From 'The Tartans of the Clans of Scotland', by James Grant, 1886. 365mm by 265mm (sheet). Accompanied by a sheet of desc...

'Agaricus Ovoideus' Antique Swiss mushroom / fungi chromolithograph, lithographed by H Furrer after Fritz Leuba. The print is titled with the scientific name...

'Nepenthes' (Tropical Pitcher Plant) Plants are numbered with a key to the varieties below the image. Antique English botanical chromolithograph.

'Conservatory Roses' Flowers are numbered with a key to the varieties below the image. Antique English flower botanical chromolithograph.

'Masdevallias' Flowers are numbered with a key to the varieties below the image. Antique English flower botanical chromolithograph.

'Moresque - Mauresque - Maurisch' Late 19th century interior design chromolithograph, from Racinet’s ‘L’Ornement Polychrome’, 1887. Published in Paris. Albert Racinet's 'L' Ornemen...

This exceedingly rare silver bowl was made in the Aesthetic taste by Whiting Manufacturing Company. The sterling silver bowl features naturalistic repousse motifs of shells and seawe...

'Sooty Tern and Panayan Tern' Chromolithograph from Gracius Broinowski's 'The Birds of Australia' , 1887-1891. Gracius Joseph Broinowski (1837-191...

Queen Victoria golden jubilee coin pendant. Featuring a 1877 two pound coin with attached hand-made scrolled wire work pendant frame crafted in 9k yello...

'Lesser Moddy and Moddy Tern' Chromolithograph from Gracius Broinowski's 'The Birds of Australia' , 1887-1891. Gracius Joseph Broinowski (1837-191...

Fine & Very Rare, this pocket watch by Gurzelen by Omega dates back to late XIX century – pre-1880’s Despite the age, its in a great vintage condition & in excellent working order...

Vanity Fair legal portrait of Alderman Sir Robert Walter Carden KNT. MP. 380mm by 260mm (sheet)

'La Mode de Paris' Wood-engraving with original hand-colouring. French 1870s fashion illustration, from a series called 'La Mode de Paris'. Signed in ...

'La Mode de Paris' Wood-engraving with original hand-colouring. French 1870s fashion illustration, from a series called 'La Mode de Paris'. Signed in ...

'Gompholobium Barbigerum - Fringe-keeled Gompholobium' Botanical lithograph of a Western Australian native plant with original hand-colouring , 1873, by Walter Hood Fitch (1817-1892...

'Strahlinge' (Protozoa - Radiolarians or Radioza) German lithograph, circa 1895. Key to protozoa in German below the image. 250mm by 305mm (sheet). Central vertical fold as iss...

'1. Cynthia juliana 2. Anartia amalthea 3. Junonia orthosia' Late 19th century colour lithograph of butterflies.

Whispering tales of a long past era, the Antique Desiree Ring bears the echoes of an eternal love. Her darling central ruby rests between a duo of shimmering diamonds, a symbol of lo...

Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860–1939) Lily from The flowers  Les Lys : Les fleurs Original Poster,  1898  Image size: 102.2×41.6 cm Sheet size: 105.7×45.7 cm Framed Condition: laid down...

Antique bird egg colour woodblock , 1880, from Francis Orpen Morris’, 'A Natural History of the Nests & Eggs of British Birds', 1875. The woodblocks ...

Chromolithograph, circa 1895. 245mm by 300mm (sheet). Central vertical fold as issued.

'Middle Ages - Moyen-Age - Mittel Alter' Late 19th century interior design chromolithograph, from Racinet’s ‘L’Ornement Polychrome’, 1887. Published in Paris. Albert Racinet's 'L' ...

Hugues Merle was a French painter who mostly depicted sentimental or moral subjects. Samuel Cousins was a highly regarded mezzotint engraver. 350mm by 2...

Colour-printed lithograph by Ernst Wasmuth. Published in Berlin in 1883. From "Griechische Keramik", Genick's superb work on Greek ceramics.

'Middle Ages - Moyen-Age - Mittel Alter' Late 19th century interior design chromolithograph, from Racinet’s ‘L’Ornement Polychrome’, 1887. Published in Paris. Albert Racinet's 'L' ...

A stunning pair of vases in black basalt. Known as Apotheosis Vases, or sometimes Pegasus Vases, it's rare to find a pair of these; still rare to find the...

'Celtic - Celtique - Keltisch' Late 19th century interior design chromolithograph, from Racinet’s ‘L’Ornement Polychrome’, 1887. Published in Paris. Albert Racinet's 'L' Ornement P...

'Indian-Persian - Indo-Persian - Indisch-Persisch' Late 19th century interior design chromolithograph, from Racinet’s ‘L’Ornement Polychrome’, 1887. Published in Paris. Albert Raci...

'Middle Ages - Moyen-Age - Mittel Alter' Late 19th century interior design chromolithograph, from Racinet’s ‘L’Ornement Polychrome’, 1887. Published in Paris. Albert Racinet's 'L' ...

Kaka Parrots - chromolithograph from an English natural history series. 200mm by 135mm (image) 255mm by 165mm (sheet)

'1. 2. Charaxes tiridates 3. Charaxes etheocles' Late 19th century colour lithograph of butterflies.

Description: A singular example of Guanyin. Deviating from the Bodhisattva’s conventional pose of ‘royal ease’, the figure is instead seated in the meditative padmasana, or ‘lotus position’, rendering this Guanyin something of a rarity. An Apana more typically associated with depictions of Buddhas, Guanyin assuming this pose immediately signifies this figure as one of particular spiritual reverence. Both feet are revealed crossed upon one another from beneath fabric which spills before her, her left palm turned upward with her hand resting upon her left knee and her right raised in a relaxed gesture. Adorned with a diadem housing a depiction of Amitabha Buddha, her own spiritual guide, she exudes an air of tranquil regality, further characterised by her numerous strings of beads and elaborately fastened dhoti, attire traditionally reserved for Indian princes. Though the figure’s dress is Indian her face is undoubtedly exemplifying artistic Chinese beauty standards. Her face is soft and rounded, full in both the lips and cheeks, with eyes that restfully peer down, as though she is watching over the worries of mankind with compassion. Notes on the item: Guanyin is the Chinese interpretation of Avalokiteshvara, the Indian Bodhisattva of compassion. The term “Bodhisattva” is derived from the Sanskrit “Bodhi”, meaning ‘awakening’ or ‘enlightenment’, combined with “Sattva”, meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘being’, referring to one on the path to achieving enlightenment. Bodhisattvas in Mayahana Buddhism are recognised as figures who have effectively achieved enlightenment yet relinquish their accension to nirvana in order to remain amongst mankind in the ultimate act of compassion to aid as spiritual guides. As such, the Bodhisattva inhabit a liminal space between samsara and nirvana; enlightened beings that maintain a relationship with humanity that buddhas cannot, as attaining Buddhahood necessitates the abandonment of all worldly attachments, including mankind. Guanyin’s very name, ‘One who hears the cries of the world’ highlights this role as a compassionate figure who acknowledges the suffering and strife of man. Along with Mahāsthāmaprāpta, a fellow bodhisattva, Guanyin serves as an attendant to Buddha Amitabha, with these three deities recognised as the Three Sages of Western Pure Land Buddhism, a sect of Mayahana Buddhism popular in East Asia. Avalokiteshvara is commonly posited to have been adopted from Indian Buddhism into China as Guanyin around 200-400 CE, however it was the Tang dynasty (618-907) which saw the popularisation of the deity. By the Ming (1358–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, Guanyin held the position as the most popular female deity in China. The unique state of religion in China held no monolithic canon regarding Buddhism and saw the assimilation of several belief systems, primarily Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Consequently, Guanyin became a deity to be revered beyond Buddhism alone, appointed as both an official imperial deity and Daoist deity in the 12th century. Guanyin may also be seen to fulfil the role of idealised femininity as prescribed by Confucianism, with the scarcity of female Chinese deities perhaps accounting for the gradual gender shift Guanyin underwent. The Indian Avalokiteshvara is unequivocally recognised as male, whilst the supposed gender of Guanyin remains contentious. Although there is a clear shift from the masculine Avalokiteshvara towards a more feminine representation, it is unclear if Guanyin is understood to be entirely feminine, to inhabit qualities of both genders or to be elevated beyond gender entirely, embodying neither. Depictions of Guanyin are highly androgynous, which some believe lends credence towards Guanyin symbolising the unity of dualistic forces as recognised in Daoism, displaying the anthropomorphism of yin and yang. Comparative Analysis: Market comparisons of similar Qing Dynasty polychrome figures of Guanyin include lot 767 (no.2) From Christies ‘Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art,’ New York, 25 March 2022, with the price realised USD 52,920 (Estimate USD 20,000 – USD 30,000). Christies also auctioned a comparable polychrome Guanyin...

'Celtic-Byzantine - Celtico-Byzantin - Keltisch-Byzantinisch' Late 19th century interior design chromolithograph, from Racinet’s ‘L’Ornement Polychrome’, 1887. Published in Paris. ...

A Chinese Jade Carving of Piqiu, Late 19th Century Dimension: Height: 11.5cm Width: 14.5cm Depth: 5.5cm Provenance: Private old Australian coll...

'Carte du Bresil' Engraving with original outline colouring, circa 1860, by Alexandre Vuillemin, published in Paris. 31cm by 41cm (sheet) 21.5cm by 31.5cm (image)

It doesn't get much sweeter than this ditty little Victorian brooch from the late 19th century. The brooch is crafted from 14 karat yellow gold and is silver topped, a standard combi...

A pair of sphinxes in black glass. Little is known of this Manchester glassworks, but they had a very successful line in neoclassical pieces of which these are a fine example.  

'Brontops Robustus, Marsh 1/4' Lithograph by Emil Crisand after the drawing by Frederick Berger, under the supervision of Othniel Charles Marsh. Depicts dinosaur fossil...

Sea Birds Wood-engraving with original colouring. 1879. 160mm by 245mm (sheet). Key below the image. From Oliver Goldsmith's 'A History of the Earth and Animated Nature'.

"Silvio," the Property of Mr. Alfred Benjamin. "Serpolette,"the Property of Mr. Tom. B. Swinburne. "Salford," the Property of Sir Wm. E. H. Verner, Bart. English 19th century chrom...

An Austrian glass conch shell by Bohemian glass maker, Loetz in the pink ground with mimosa decor, circa 1890. The shell and snail form vases were among the most popular of Loetz's d...

This lovely piece dates from late Victorian era and is quite typical for that period, but will never go out of style Featuring 160 Natural Coral Beads, graduated with the larges...

Unusual Japanese Folk Art theatre mask depicting the playful character Mitsumekozo, a three eyed goblin often portrayed as a mischevious creature in comical plays, late Meiji period,...

A vibrant Persian rug, hand-woven in pure wool. This wonderfully decorated and very large rug features a midnight blue background embellished all over w...

'Hardy Phloxes' Flowers are numbered with a key to the varieties below the image. Antique English flower botanical chromolithograph.

This vintage Seiko ref 7009 – 8020 is featuring a striking & highly desirable sunray Midnight Blue Dial, adorned with silver coloured hands & baton numerals & day-date aperture a...

'Algen I' (Seaweeds) German chromolithograph, circa 1895. Central vertical fold as issued. 240mm by 305mm (sheet)

A set of six port or sherry glasses, brilliantly engraved with Birds & Branches pattern, after 18th century examples. In the late 18th century, Lobmeyr played a significant role in ...

Unique solid 18 carat gold flat ring with a heart set with one tiny diamond and a seed pearl Band width is 7.2 mm, thickness is 1.26 mm, heart dimens...

A Japanese Imari Platter, Late 19th Century Provenance: Private Melbourne Collection Description: With the conventional Imari palette, depicting six alternating floral and avian sc...

A pair of fine quality Japanese Kutani foo dogs in rich polychrome enamels over porcelain. The pair date to the Meiji period (1868-1912) and are in lov...

A good pair of miniature campana-shaped vases, in black basalt. Finding these with their lids, and with the delicate handles intact, is rare; a pair, even more so.

This stunning Victorian fancy link chain is crafted in 14k yellow gold and has the versatility to be worn long length chain or at a shorter ...

A Scottish Victorian Silver Plate Retriever Cruet Set, Late 19th Century Provenance: Private Australian Collection. Description: The cruet in the popular late 19th century form of ...

A Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Baluster Vases, Late 19th Century Each of baluster form with an everted lip and trumpet neck descending to broad shoulders and a flared base, the enamelw...

Late 19th Century Original French Poster, 'Samaritaine; c. 1883 This is an original poster which has been linen backed for preservation, the overall condition is very good. ARTIST...

This large pot-pourri or covered vase stands over 20 inches tall and about 15 inches wide across the handles - very substantial. It closely resembles an original early Edo pot-pourri...

'Race des iles Orcades et Shetland' (Breed of the Shetland and Orkney Islands) Lithograph with original hand-colouring by Hermann Eichens (1813-1886) fr...

'Marsh Tern and White Tern' Chromolithograph from Gracius Broinowski's 'The Birds of Australia' , 1887-1891. Gracius Joseph Broinowski (1837-1913)...

'1. 2. Pseudolycaena marsyas 3. 4. Evenus regalis' Late 19th century colour lithograph of butterflies.