RARE COLIN SELF ETCHINGS AMONGST NEARLY 1,400 LOTS IN THREE DAY AUCTION IN NORFOLK
A rare set of etchings by Norfolk-born artist Colin Self is due to go under the hammer in the county next week – with collectors expected to pay between £20,000 and £30,000 for the collection.
The 39 signed etchings make up the artist’s Odyssey/Iliad Suite, in which Self re-tells the Homer’s classical story using contemporary found-imagery and themes. Individual etchings from the series (which were limited to 40 copies of each) have come up for sale before, but this is believed the be the first time that the complete set has gone under the hammer together.
The set of etchings is part of Aylsham-based keys Fine Art Auctioneers three day Fine Sale from Tuesday 15th March – Thursday 17th March, during which 1,380 lots will go under the hammer, ranging from fine art, antiques, jewellery and books, as well as the largest vintage model railway collection ever to come up for auction in East Anglia.
As well as the set of Colin Self etchings, highlights of the sale include:
- 237 lots of East Anglian art, including:
- Four paintings by Edward Seago, including ‘Shrimp Boats on the Suffolk Coast’, which is expected to sell for £40,000-£60,000
- A painting by Norwich School artist Joseph Stannard of ‘Fish Market, Yarmouth Beach’, which has a pre-sale estimate of £7,000-£10,000
- Eight works by Norfolk painter Campbell Archibald Mellon
- A stunning 19th century Italian marble Pietra Dura table, which has a pre-sale estimate of £3,000-£4,000
- A huge collection of vintage ‘O’ gauge model railways, including 60 locomotives, hundreds of carriages and wagons, buildings and scenic accessories – one of the largest model railway collections ever to come to auction in East Anglia.
- A mid-15th century illustrated manuscript ‘Book of Hours’, on vellum, believed to be from Bruges, which has a pre-sale estimate of £8,000-£10,000
- A Liber Chronicarum, a first edition Nuremberg Chronicle folio of 299 leaves dating from 1493, published in Nuremberg, including engraved map of the world, engraved map of northern Europe, and many woodcut views of European cities. The pre-sale estimate is £10,000-£12,000
- Several first edition books, including Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine
“This is one of the most exciting Fine Sales we have had at Keys, and it is attracting the attention of collectors from all over the world,” said Keys Fine Art Auctioneers general manager Kevin Lines. “There are so many highlights that it’s difficult to know where to begin.
“It is particularly pleasing to be selling the Colin Self series of etchings. Self was born in Rackheath and continues to live and work in Norwich, although his reputation is worldwide. We believe this is the first time that a complete set of the Odyssey/Iliad series has come up for auction.
“Keys has now built a reputation as the world’s leader in East Anglian art, and just four months after our last, hugely successful East Anglian sale, we are once again auctioning some very important works by East Anglian artists as part of our three day Fine Sale.
“But it is not just the art which is attracting attention amongst the world’s dealers and collectors. The sale has some real star lots right across all departments, from furniture to books, toys to militaria.
“Thanks to our growing reputation, and the way we have embraced online technology, Keys is genuinely competing with the major national and international auction houses, and this sale is another step to putting Norfolk on the antiques and fine arts map.”
Keys’ three day Fine Sale runs from Tuesday 15th March to Thursday 17th March at the firm’s Aylsham salerooms. Full details of all lots, together with details of how to bid at the sale or online, can be found at www.keysauctions.co.uk.