Saleroom: Tears of joy at ancestor's return

By DON MILNE

Art auctions are not often marked by emotion - visible, that is.

A record high price or a spirited bidding duel may provoke a burst of well-mannered applause, but it is not often that a successful bid is marked by tears of joy so genuine that others in the saleroom cannot help but be affected.

Such a rare and moving scene took place at Webb's first big sale of the year.

The lot in question was a fine portrait by Gottfried Lindauer, signed and dated 1880, of a striking Maori woman with full moko, in feather cloak and smoking a pipe.

Research by Sophie Coupland of Webb's showed her to be Horiana Te Wharepu, daughter of Tiakitai, principal chief of the Ngati Kahungunu in the first half of the 19th century and a leader of great mana.

She was in her mid-50s when Lindauer painted her portrait, and many of her descendants still live on the ancestral lands around Waimarama, in Hawkes Bay (Heretaunga).

A group from the iwi travelled to Auckland to buy their revered ancestor's portrait, after arranging to raise money on their land. And when they were successful, with a bid of $101,000 ($111,100, with buyer's premium, and $16,000 above the higher estimate), their joy was manifest to all. This was a painting bought not because of its artistic merit or investment value but its deeply felt significance to the buyers.

Maori subjects clearly look to be strong sellers again this year, and so do smaller works by Colin McCahon. Two cardboard relief prints by that artist, from 1957 and 1973, were estimated to sell at between $1500 and $3000 each; one went for $9000, and the other for $12,000 (before premium).

A larger work from 1959, estimated at from $100,000 to $150,000, did not sell, however; and two works by Ralph Hotere were passed in at the auction but sold subsequently around the lower estimates of $75,000 to $80,000.

"People who can't afford a big McCahon or Hotere are paying very good prices for smaller, more affordable works," said Sophie Coupland.

Buyers seemed a little reluctant to part with their money on the night - estimates may have been pitched a bit high - but many works sold subsequently.

The International Art Centre's first sale of the year last Wednesday, on the other hand, saw fewer works passed in.

An auction record of $12,500 for the Dunedin painter William James Reed came with a colourful work Maori Fishermen with Nets, while a tiny McCahon from the 1969 Urewera series went for $42,500.

A strong collection of watercolours by Margaret Olrog Stoddart, a Canterbury contemporary of Frances Hodgkins and one of New Zealand's first professional women artists, sold well. Her flower studies fetched up to $39,000, for a bowl of roses.

As usual, the centre's sale was strong on colonial works, with a John Gully watercolour of Mt Earnslaw, above Lake Wakatipu, reaching $37,000.

The perennially popular - and long gone - Pink and White Terraces also sold well, with a J.B.C. Hoyte watercolour (White) fetching $11,000 and a Charles Blomfield (Pink) $24,000.

For those attracted to historical works, there are still plenty of such attractive paintings on the market at prices from around $1000 up to $4000.

Coming up:

Webb's will hold an affordable art sale on May 7.

Cordy's next art and antiques sale will be on April 23.

Dunbar Sloane will separate art and antique sales this year. An important collection of Maori and Pacific artefacts, most said to be pre-European and from one estate, will be held on April 18. Investment art will be up on May 1, with affordable art the following day.