Past Sales

This page has been created to mark the first 50 years of J. B. Hawkins Antiques, the business I opened on my arrival in Australia in 1967. I list 100 important items that have passed through my hands into various Public and Private Collections around the world and I thank all those who have made the dream come true.

All
Art
Australian Silver
Australiana
Clocks and Watches
English & European Silver
English Furniture
Faberge
Furniture
Gold Boxes
Jewellery
Porcelain & Pottery
Various

The Macquarie Coffee Biggin

Maker William Elliott, London 1822 8” high and weight 28oz. The Macquarie arms on the surviving coffee biggin as designed by Major-General Lachlan Macquarie created

A Section from a floor mosaic from a Roman Villa at Dewlish, Dorset

The mosaic would have been part of an elaborate pavement in the reception room of a luxurious villa and includes a depiction of a leopard

Engine Turned Lignum Vitae Standing Cup & Cover and a complete set of 12 dipping cups, English circa 1630

The finial unscrews to reveal a spice box, the underside of the lid incorporating a nutmeg grater and the interior containing twelve turned tumbler cups

Vulliamy No. 432

An ormolu and patinated bronze mounted black marble Egyptian revival mantel timepiece, London, circa 1810. Height 23cm or 9 inches 432. The 3-inch gilt dial with

The Hawkins Holzappfel Collection of 500 Ebony & Ivory Turnings

I formed this very important collection over a period of 30 years. Sold at the London Olympia Fair in 1998 to Mrs Lily Safra and

A Comolera Minton Peacock

One of 12 and seemingly the only one not in an institution. Purchased in a Melbourne Sale in the 1980’s and sold to a collector

The Banks Florilegium

The printing of this project involved over 30 printers working in the London workshop of Edward Egerton–Williams for over 9 years. The publication was started

The Hawkins Collection of Dress Watches

I, in part inherited a collection of dress watches made in the 1920’s and 30’s from my grandfather along with his white tie and tails.

The Hawkins Collection of Silver Regimental Statuettes

Sold to Warren Anderson 1982. Repurchased and sold to Kerry Packer 1990. Repurchased in part and sold into the London trade 1999.

The Skull of Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine died at Greenwich, New York in 1809 and was buried on his estate at New Rochelle. The body was disintered by William Cobbett

A Dragonfly Brooch by Renee Lalique

I wrote an essay for the purchaser of the Lalique Dragonfly Jewel, circa 1897, which I purchased from S. J. Phillips, please click the link

An exceptional pair of early 17th century gloves or gauntlets

The cuff embroidered in coloured silk and silver thread on a satin ground, the body in fine leather. English circa 1600-1610

An Important and extremely rare Queensland Opal Table Top with a detailed provenance and a most interesting history

In 1870 the first paying Queensland opal field was discovered by the partners Berkelman and Lambert on their large cattle and sheep station at Listowel

A rare Pietra Dura and Paesine Table Top, Florence, Grand-Ducal Workshops, circa 1625

Pietra paesina, pietra lineato dell’Arno, alabaster, lapis-lazuli, various hardstones and marbles The rectangular top with a nero del Belgio ground shows a central pietra lineato dell’Arno

A pair of bronze “Manchu Cannons” cast by Father Verbiest in 1689

At present, seventeen cannons cast by Verbiest are to be found in European museums as listed in the table compiled by Stary, www.battle-of-qurman.com.cn/literature/Stary-Verbiest-1994.pdf all looted by

A fine Roman Bronze Sandalled Foot from a Monumental Statue, circa 2nd Century AD

This superbly modelled left foot has a high degree of realism in the naturalistic modelling with highly detailed toes and toenails. The bronze is further

A superb Thomire Surtout de Table

Purchased from Nesle Inc, New York in 1975 and my first sale to Mohammed Mahdi Al- Tajir in 1976.

The Orlov-Davydov Nephrite Imperial Presentation portrait snuffbox by Carl Fabergé St. Petersburg.

The box was presented on the 26 November 1904 to Count Anatoli Vladimirovich Orlov-Davydov (1837-1905) on his retirement and presented by the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

The Macquarie Chest

I purchased in person the Strathallen Chest, now known as the Macquarie Chest, in 1989 for $583,000 on Monday 17th April as Lot 327 in

The Leslie Collection of Unique Rapes a Tabac, Treen-Snuff Rasps

was sold by J B Hawkins Antiques, Australia and Hawkins & Hawkins, Edinburgh. To view the Introduction & Catalogue please click the link below: https://www.jbhawkinsantiques.com/articles/introduction-to-a-unique-collection-of-rapes-a-tabac-treen-snuff-rasps/