Lawsons has enjoyed over 130 years of unbroken auction history in Australia. In the 20th century, Lawson sold many of Australia’s finest collections including many famous on site house auctions. Notable collections sold included the Burdekin House sale in 1922, the Lloyd Jones collection at Rosemont Woollahra in 1981, the Norman Sheuruck collection in 1963 and the Sim Rubensohn collection at Kelvin Lodge in 1973.
In September 2001, Menzies Group of Companies acquired the historic Sydney auction house. The company was then expanded into two brands; Lawsons to handle domestic and general chattels at our Annandale auction warehouse and Lawson to target the upper end of the Australian auction market for Art, Jewellery, Decorative Arts and Antique Furniture, Aboriginal Art, as well as prestigious house contents auctions.
Lawsons sold Maggie Watson Napangardi’s Digging Stick Dreaming for $336,000. A $5 million Aboriginal Art Auction will be held on 14th and 15th November. A ceremonial board, possibly used in the first Krill Krill corroboree by Paddy Jaminji, Rover Thomas’s uncle and mentor also went under action in May 2007.
Other works on display included:
- an early work by Balgo master Sunfly Tjampitjin estimated at $60,000-80,000
- a masterwork by Kintore elder Makinti Napanangka valued at $50,000-60,000
- an early painting by Ginger Riley Munduwalawala on scrap builders plywood and framed by the artist with plastic fly screen molding and assorted screws estimated at $10,000- 12,000
- a large 1995 rendition of Queenie McKenzie’s’ country ?Wooroiwoordi – Hills of Texas Downs’ valued at $70,000-90,000
- a major work by Emily Kngwarreye executed in ochre, ‘Yam Dreaming – Arlatyeye’ estimated at $80,000-100,000 and painted in 1994
Other artists represented include:
The auction also saw the sale of Emily Kngwarreye’s Earth’s Creation for $1,056,000. Kngwarreye’s Earth’s Creation was sold to Alice Springs Aboriginal art dealer Tim Jennings, from Mbantua Gallery. Tommy Watson’s Waltitjatta, 2006 sold for $240,000.