Decorative Arts
The Decorative
Arts Department
Webb’s Decorative Arts Department offers excellent knowledge and curation of a range of fascinating objects. Our online and live auctions comprise of decorative arts covering a wide array of periods and styles from early-European antiques to pieces of mid-20th century modernist design, furniture and furnishings.
Current Live Auction
Material Culture
Live Auction | Monday 20 May, 6:30pm
The catalogue for Webb’s latest Material Culture live auction — including indigenous art, craft, and designs — is online now.
This auction include objects from diverse regions of the world, including Aotearoa, Africa, Australia, Asia, South America, Melanesia, and Polynesia.
Material culture is culture made tangible. Its production represents identity, beliefs and values, the environment, artistic expression, and relationships to community.
Among the many objects of incredible rarity and beauty is a well preserved and highly coveted feather from the now-extinct huia bird which is expected to reach anywhere between $2,000 - $3,000. In pre-contact times, high ranking individuals would wear huia’s tail feathers in their hair but eventually, the blue-green metallic sheen of these items became more widely popularised among Maōri and pakeha.
Explore this exciting, museum-quality catalogue online now or in-person at our Mount Eden Gallery and get in touch with our team of specialists if you would like any additional information. We would love to hear from you.
Leah Morris
Head of Decorative Arts
Upcoming Online Auction
Material Culture
Online Auction | 24 – 30 May
We are delighted to present our Material Culture online sale later this month.
With nearly 400 lots, the catalogue offers an eclectic selection of rare and interesting items, including indigenous art and objects, ancient archaeological pieces, folk art, ceramics and more.
With modest estimates across the catalogue — and no reserve on many items — this sale presents amazing buying potential for emerging and seasoned buyers alike.
Leah Morris
Head of Decorative Arts
Upcoming Online Auction
Made in Aotearoa
Online Auction | 19 – 25 June
Our Decorative Arts department is currently seeking consignments for our upcoming Made in Aotearoa auction. A celebration of our nation’s culture through objects, this playful and nostalgic sale will bring together decades of uniquely New Zealand creativity.
We are looking for quality examples of New Zealand applied art, design, pop culture and sporting memorabilia, Kiwiana, folk art, taonga, and more. Early consignments include works by Len Castle, Feltex, a selection of historical photography, as well significant pieces from Crown Lynn.
Florence S. Fournier
Specialist, Decorative Arts
The Decorative Arts Department
Webb’s Decorative Arts Department offers excellent knowledge and curation of a range of fascinating objects.
Our online and live auctions comprise of decorative arts covering a wide array of periods and styles from early-European antiques to pieces of mid-20th century modernist design, including furniture and furnishings, such as mirrors, clocks, rugs, ceramics, art glass, silver and more.
We are seeing the market for decorative arts continue to grow with no signs of slowing down and it is a pleasure to be consistently achieving excellent results for our diverse sales. We have consistently seen high returns as more and more people look to the secondary market for unique and hard-to-find pieces.
Our March live auction saw a Campana Brothers ‘Celia’ Dining Suite sell for $28,440, exceeding its high estimate of $22,500. The demand for applied arts is booming, with recent Studio Ceramics and Studio Glass sales achieving 100% sell-through rates. Particular highlights from these auction included a rare Dame Lucie Rie Elliptical Form Bowl which sold for $5,925. These outstanding results are testament to the passion and commitment out our specialist team.
With a dedicated client base following our Material Culture auctions closely, we have seen incredible returns. A Complete Set of the Three Official Publications of Cook’s Voyages in First Editions sold for a breath-taking $133,403 in our January sale. It has been exciting to bring these sales to life and achieve such phenomenal results; we are always looking ahead to the next one.
Head of Decorative Arts
Leah Morris
-
Leah studied at the University of Auckland earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Ancient History in 2015. In 2017 she graduated with an Honours in Museum Studies and Cultural Heritage and is currently completing her Master’s degree.
Before coming to Webb’s Leah’s most recent tenure was working as a Collection Technician at the Auckland Museum – Tamaki Paenga Hira for Human History in which she researched and catalogued the Social History, Applied Arts and Design, and World collections.
Leah has a particular interest in West African art, Taonga, and New Zealand studio pottery and glass.
Florence S. Fournier
Specialist, Decorative Arts
-
Florence S. Fournier is a specialist in our Decorative Arts department. With a background in mid-century modern furniture and boutique brands, Florence has a developed a deep appreciation for enduring design principles.
In her role at Webb's, Florence's expertise shines in exhibition installations and photoshoot styling, earning her recognition as a rising star in the New Zealand auction scene. Florence is particularly interested in discovering rare designs with exceptional provenance.
Having a background in marketing combined with deep knowledge and years of experience in decorative arts, Florence consistently creates compelling narratives that resonate with discerning collectors.
Florence's enthusiasm for beautiful objects and keen eye for design make her an invaluable asset to the team at Webb's.
