IMPORTANT AUSTRALIAN AND ABORIGINAL ART Including works from the collection of Amina and Franco Belgiorno-Nettis AC CBE Tuesday 7 June, 2016 at 6:30pm Sydney IMPORTANT AUSTRALIAN AND ABORIGINAL ART Including works from the collection of Amina and Franco Belgiorno-Nettis AC CBE Tuesday 7 June, 2016 at 6:30pm NCJWA Hall, Sydney MELBOURNE VIEWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION PRESS ENQUIRIES Como House The United States Government Emma Miller Como Avenue has banned the import of ivory +61 (0) 401 642 535 South Yarra VIC 3141 into the USA. Lots containing [email protected] ivory are indicated by the symbol Friday 27 – Sunday 29 May Ф printed beside the lot number PHYSICAL CONDITION 10am – 5pm in this catalogue. OF LOTS IN THIS AUCTION PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE SYDNEY VIEWING IS NO REFERENCE IN THIS ACROSS TWO VENUES ENQUIRIES CATALOGUE TO THE PHYSICAL Bonhams Office Mark Fraser CONDITION OF ANY LOT. 97-99 Queen Street Chairman INTENDING BIDDERS MUST Woollahra NSW 2025 +61 (0) 430 098 802 mob SATISFY THEMSELVES AS [email protected] TO THE CONDITION OF ANY NCJWA Hall LOT AS SPECIFIED IN CLAUSE 111 Queen Street Alex Clark 14 OF THE NOTICE TO Woollahra NSW 2025 Australian and International Art BIDDERS CONTAINED AT THE Specialist END OF THIS CATALOGUE. Friday 3 – Monday 6 June +61 (0) 413 283 326 mob 10am – 5pm [email protected] As a courtesy to intending Tuesday 7 June bidders, Bonhams will provide a By appointment Merryn Schriever written indication of the physical Australian and International Art condition of lots in this sale if a SALE NUMBER Specialist request is received up to 24 23534 +61 (0) 414 846 493 mob hours before the auction starts. [email protected] This written indication is issued CATALOGUE subject to Clause 3 of the Notice $30.00 Francesca Cavazzini to Bidders. Aboriginal and International Art ILLUSTRATIONS Specialist Front cover: Lot 63 +61 (0) 416 022 822 mob Back cover: Lot 44 [email protected] Inside front: Lot 58 Inside back: Lot 35 CLIENT SERVICES Opposite: Lot 2 Fiona Frith +61 (0) 2 8412 2222 BIDS [email protected] Online bidding will be available for the auction. For further information please visit: www.bonhams.com All bidders are advised to read the important information on the following pages relating to bidding, payment, collection, and storage of any purchases. SALE INFORMATION BIDS COLLECTION PAYMENT must be cleared before collection +61 (0) 2 8412 2222 Lots will be available for Payment is due by 4:30pm on of your purchases. +61 (0) 3 8640 4088 collection from 12pm Thursday 9 June 2016. Bankers draft/building society +61 (0) 2 9475 4110 fax Wednesday 8th June at cheques: if you can provide [email protected] Bonhams 97-99 Queen Street, To comply with legislation, suitable proof of identity we Woollahra. Bonhams cannot accept will allow you to collect your To bid via the internet please visit payment from an account that purchases once the money has www.bonhams.com Please note collection will not be does not match the name of the cleared. available from NCJWA Hall. party invoiced. PAYMENTS BUYER’S PREMIUM Buyers Please note collection will not Bank Transfer - Payment can be A Buyer’s Premium of 22% +61 (0) 2 8412 2222 be available unless payment has made by bank transfer. Please plus GST will be added to the +61 (0) 3 8640 4088 been received and has cleared. ensure that you either include Hammer Price on all lots. +61 (0) 2 9475 4110 fax the sale and Lot number, your To arrange collection please name or customer number in the EXPORT/TRADE Sellers contact: reference field. RESTRICTIONS Payment of sale proceeds Penny Pfahl It is your sole responsibility +61 (0) 2 8412 2222 +61 (0) 2 8412 2222 Account Name: BONHAMS 1793 to comply with all export and +61 (0) 3 8640 4088 [email protected] LTD AU-CLIENT AC import regulations relating to +61 (0) 2 9475 4110 fax Bank Name: HSBC Bank your purchases and also to Storage charges will apply from Australia Ltd obtain any relevant export and/or SHIPPING Wednesday 22 June 2016 Branch Name: Sydney Exchange import licence(s). For information and estimates Centre on domestic and international Daily storage charge per Lot: Account Number: 078193002 The refusal of any import or shipping as well as export $50 plus GST BSB: 342011 export or CITES license(s), any licenses please contact: SWIFT: HKBAAU2S delay in obtaining such license(s), Lots will be released upon or any limitation on your ability to Penny Pfahl production of the collection form BPAY - Payments can be made export a Lot shall not permit the +61 (0) 2 8412 2222 which will be provided by BPAY. Please contact your rescission of any sale nor allow [email protected] upon receipt of payment. participating bank, credit union any delay in making full payment Please present this form and or building society to make for the Lot. photographic ID at the time payment directly from your of collection. If a third party is cheque or savings account. CITES REGULATIONS collecting on behalf of the client, Enter the Biller Code 17723 Please be aware that all Lots the client must provide Bonhams and BPAY reference number as marked with symbol Y are with written authority prior to detailed on your invoice. subject to CITES when exporting collection. The third party must these items outside Australia. present photographic ID when EFTPOS / Debit Cards - There Information about these collecting. is a 2% surcharge on the regulations may be found at total invoice value when using www.environment.gov.au/ non-Australian bank issued biodiversity/trade-use/cites/ Debit cards, and deferred and index.html or may be requested company Debit cards. from: The Director Cash or traveller’s cheques - International Wildlife Trade We will accept cash payment in Department of Sustainability, Australian Dollars or traveller’s Environment, Water, Population cheques up to a maximum and Communities GPO Box 787 amount of $8000 for lots Canberra ACT 2601 purchased by you in this sale. +61 (0) 2 6274 1900 [email protected] Cheques – Cheques must be made payable to: Bonhams 1793 Ltd Personal cheques drawn on an Australian branch of a bank or building society: all cheques COMOCOMO HOUSE, HOUSE, MELBOURNE MELBOURNE South Y Chapel St M alc V River St ic Alexandra A Monash Fr o tori lm S River Ln a T t c e a Tivoli Rd rra BONHAMS OFFICE AND THE NCJWA HALL, SYDNEY eewa v e Rockley Rd y T oorak Rd oorak Kensington Rd Herring Island Como Ave Como Ave L Como lade A lade ech Park Fulham Ave v e Williams Rd Williams Rd North Y arra River Como House Ave Bruce St Bruce ingt s s la on S Cloverdale Ave onS S t Canberra Rd t t Vista Grove Bur k Wallace Ave nie S t W Balmerino D ash ug o Jacks T oora WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION OF AMINA AND FRANCO BELGIORNO-NETTIS AC CBE Lots 1-30 “We are living in Clontarf in a house that very much resembles an Italian Mediterranean house…on the sea, and we are fortunate in having a[n]… art gallery at our home.. ..surrounded by works of art ..art in all its expressions, from craft to paintings to sculpture and I would also include architecture..’ One of Australia’s pre-eminent business and philanthropic families, the Belgiorno-Nettis’ have long been generous patrons of the arts and collectors of important contemporary works for more than 50 years. It all began with Italian-born family patriarch, Franco Belgiorno-Nettis AC CBE who was sent to Australia in 1951 as an engineer for Electric Power Transmission: the fledgling Australian branch of the Milanese based Societa Anonima Electrica. In the same year, he wed Amina Cerino-Zegna, and together they established a life for themselves in Australia, soon welcoming sons Marco and Luca and later, Guido. It didn’t take long for the entrepreneurial and ambitious Franco to establish in 1956 his own company, Transfield (with business partner Carlo Salteri), which went on to become one of the largest engineering contractors in the Southern Hemisphere. Franco felt grateful for having been given the opportunity for such success. In 1961 he launched the Transfield Art Prize the richest acquisitive contemporary art prize in Australia at the time. Both he and his wife had always shared a love of the arts: Amina having studied art history and Franco himself a self- taught painter. The Prize ran for 10 years and included then relatively-unknown artists such as Fred Williams, Roger Kemp, Peter Powditch and Ron Robertson-Swann. Franco, a long-time admirer and attendee at the Venice Biennale, was inspired by the capacity of such an event to expose its visitors to a world of art, and so established the Biennale of Sydney in 1973. Australian audiences then had the opportunity to see the latest offerings in contemporary art on their home soil. Several years later, Franco gave the world the chance to see the art of Australia, by helping to build the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Throughout his life in Australia, Franco held numerous arts positions including as Trustee for the Dobell Foundation, Director of Art Exhibitions Australia and Trustee and then a Life Governor of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Today, the family continues to support cultural causes, with the sons and their spouses serving on various arts boards. INTERIOR PHOTO 1 JOHN COBURN (1925-2006) Section, 1968 signed lower left: ‘Coburn’; inscribed verso: ‘JOHN COBURN / “SECTION” / 1/68 / OIL’ oil on canvas 152.5 x 183.0cm (60 1/16 x 72 1/16in).