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NIGERIA
Property of a Private Collector, London
1
AMBA ENIGHE (NIGERIAN B.2000)
UNTITLED
Signed and dated AMBA ENIGHE 2022 lower right; inscribed on the reverse oil on canvas
74 x 57cm; 29 1/4 x 22 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Amba Enighe
Amba Enighe is a Nigerian painter based in Lagos whose practice explores identity and representation through figuration. Her emerging body of work exists within a stylistic tradition of black portraiture which highlights the lack of black representation in art history by centring the black figure. The present works depict finely modelled sitters against patterned backgrounds which invoke of Renaissance-Roccoco imagery. The gaze of Enighe’s figures is firmly fixed on the viewer, ascribing a sense of dignity and poise to the sitters. These highly compelling compositions not only demonstrate the exemplary execution of the artist in rendering figures from life, but position the black figure within art history on its terms.
£1,000-1,500
Property of a Private Collector, London
AMBA ENIGHE (NIGERIAN B.2000)
UNTITLED
signed and dated AMBA ENIGHE 2022 lower right; inscribed on the reverse oil on canvas
118.5 x 59cm; 46 3/4 x 23 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner see note to lot 1
£1,000-1,500
Property of a Private Collector, London 3
AYANFE OLARINDE (NIGERIAN B.1996)
JUST LIKE THE GRANDPA (EXCERPT FROM ESSAY ON DREAMS) signed and dated OLARINDE AYANFEOLUWA 2020 on the reverse ink, acrylic and oil pastel on card 77 x 52cm; 30 1/4 x 20 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired by the present owner from Retro Africa, Abuja, Nigeria in 2022
Ayanfe Olarinde is a self-taught Nigerian artist based in Lagos. Recognised for her distinctive “scribble” technique combining line, collage and paint, her practice examines identity and blackness with a distinct style which bridges figuration and abstraction. The present drawing layers dense looping marks to create a distorted portrait, at once humorous and unsettling. The piercing and ambiguous expression of the central figure prompts introspection, reflecting the artist’s self described ‘continuous journey for acceptance.’
£1,000-1,500
Property of a Private Collector, London 4
JOHNSON OCHEJA (NIGERIAN B.1993)
LADY WITH THE BRANCHES
signed and dated Johnson Ocheja 2022 lower right oil on canvas
152.4 x 132.1cm; 60 x 52in unframed
Provenance
Phillips, London, 2022
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner Exhibited London, Phillips, HIRÆTH, 2022
Johnson Ocheja is a self-taught Nigerian painter whose distinct style is characterised within the emergent tradition of black figuration. Depicting his black figures with blue pigment, his works problematise the category of ‘blackness’ by altering the skin colour of his sitters, emphasising the diversity of ethnicities, racial compositions and identities which together constitute the black community. His signature impasto technique, which textures the skin of his figures, references the ritual scarification traditions which are common in socieities across Africa, including in Nigeria. In that sense, works like the present lot take a global discourse on conceptions of blackness and locate them within the artist’s local Nigerian context, combining cultural symbolism with a contemporary exploration of identity and belonging.
† £8,000-12,000
Property of a Private Collector, Maryland, USA
5
OLUWOLE OMOFEMI (NIGERIAN B.1988)
I SEE IT signed and dated Oluwole Omofemi 22 lower right oil and acrylic on canvas 100 x 100cm; 39 1/2 x 39 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Oluwole Omofemi is a Nigerian painter whose portraits celebrate Afrocentric identity, often using natural Afro hair as a signifier of freedom and pride. He gained international recognition with his 2022 Tatler Platinum Jubilee commission of Queen Elizabeth II, and shortly thereafter established himself as a conerstone of the contemporary Nigerian art landscape. The present work, depicting a woman with an outsized halo of hair against a vibrant red floral ground, exemplifies the compositional elements that brought the artist widespread accaim. He distorts the naturalism of the painting with his use of green pigment to highlight the skin of his figure. Omofemi’s work overwhelmingly features female figures from life, with the artist depicting friends and family from his hometown. This reflects the artist’s guiding imperative to memorialise blackness by treating his ‘everyday’ subjects with the same painterly attention he gives to royalty. In doing so, his work identifies itself within a lineage of artists in Africa and across the diaspora wherein black figuration acts as a strategy for combating a historic lack of representation.
‡ £15,000-20,000
Property of a Private Collector, London 6
BEN ENWONWU MBE (NIGERIAN 1917-1994)
UNTITLED
signed and dated Ben Enwonwu Lond 1945 lower right watercolour on paper 26 x 36cm; 10 1/2 x 14 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Sale, Arthouse Contemporary Ltd, Lagos, 2018
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Ben Enwonwu was born in Onitsha, Nigeria. Formally trained at Goldsmith’s College of Art and later the Slade School of Art in London, Enwonwu was among the first cohort of postcolonial African artists to advocate an art form which embraced the technical stylistic developments of the European painterly and sculptural traditions. Importantly, Enwonwu combined this inter and postwar style with a focus on African subject matter to articulate a postcolonial artistic tradition for Nigeria. Often depicting scenes of precolonial cultural traditions, rural life or mythical folklore, Enwonwu’s singular technique and compelling artistic vision quickly distinguished the artist as among the most influential artists of the 20th century. Maintaining a studio in Onitsha and London, Enwonwu participated in various international exhibitions and commissions, most notably a bronze portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to mark the occasion of Nigeria’s independence. Enwonwu is a central part of the major exhibition Nigerian Modernism at the Tate Modern.
The present work, produced in 1945 during Enwonwu’s time as a student in London, exemplifies the artist’s early artistic approach. Executed in watercolour on paper, the work depicts a group of fisherman standing on the banks of a lagoon around a typical West African fishing boat. To the distance, another group are depicted in the lagoon fishing. The looseness of Enwonwu’s brushstrokes, heavily delineated figures, and the absence of colour in large portions of the composition suggest the work was produced as a study, giving us an insight into Enwonwu’s compositional design approach. Like the realist paintings of painters like Courbet or the leisurely modernism of Seurat, Enwonwu utilises the pictorial devices of the classical European tradition to depict an everyday scene of rural Nigerian life. This underscores the efficacy of Enwonwu’s approach; his work fits seamlessly within art history, yet introduces to the canon the depictions of Nigerian visual culture which have long been marginalised as a topic of ethnographic study.
£20,000-25,000
SOUTH AFRICA
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 7
JACOB HENDRIK PIERNEEF (SOUTH AFRICAN 1886-1957)
KAHN RIVIER, SWA
signed, dated and titled Kahn Rivier J.H. Pierneef 22 June 1923 lower margin pencil and watercolour on paper
27 x 36.5cm; 10 1/2 x 14 1/4in 52 x 60cm; 20 1/2 x 23 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Marita Pierneef-Bailey Private Collection Sale, Strauss and Co, Johannesburg, 22 July 2025, lot 146
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, one of South Africa’s most celebrated landscape artists, made several significant visits to South West Africa (now Namibia) during the 1920s. These journeys played a pivotal role in shaping both his artistic development and the body of work for which he is renowned. Specifically his exposure to Namibia’s singular landscape left a profound mark on Pierneef’s use of colour. He began to incorporate richer orange, pink, and yellow hues into his palette, giving his paintings a distinctive vibrancy and warmth. The vast, open horizons, the tranquil and arid atmosphere, the clarity of the skies, and the ruggedness of the mountains captivated his imagination and provided endless inspiration for his distinctive body of work. Pierneef developed a unique approach to landscape painting, characterised by the reduction and simplification of scenery into geometric forms. He employed flat planes, defined lines, and vivid colours to evoke a sense of harmony and order within each composition. His Namibian works, in particular, are noted for conveying the grandeur and the electric glow of the country’s landscape beneath its expansive sky. A recurring feature of Pierneef’s landscapes is the portrayal of nature as vast, pristine, and largely untouched by human presence.
The current lot dates from Pierneef’s first trip to Namibia in 1923, a journey that marked the beginning of his enduring engagement with the Namibian landscape. This formative chapter in his portrayal of the Southern African landscape created a lasting influence on him, which served as the foundation for many compositions throughout his later career.
£5,500-7,500
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef University of Pretoria Archives
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 8
FRANS OERDER (SOUTH AFRICAN 1867-1944)
FARMYARD SCENE (GIRL AND DAIRY COW)
signed Frans Oerder lower right oil on canvas
37 x 32.5cm; 14 1/2 x 12 3/4in
60.5 x 75cm; 23 3/4 x 29 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by General Benjamin Viljoen, Amsterdam
Private Estate Sale in 1917, La Mesa, New Mexico
Direct descent to a Private Collector, California
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
Frans Oerder, born in the Netherlands, studied at the Rotterdam Academy between 1880 and 1885. He was awarded the King William III Gold Medal and Bursary, which allowed him to tour Italy and study in Brussels with Ernest Blanc-Garin. In 1890, Oerder emigrated to South Africa, where he became one of only three professionally trained artists at the time. He taught at the Staatsmeisjesskool (later Pretoria High School for Girls), rented a studio, and earned a living through newspaper cartoons and assisting artist Anton van Wouw.
Oerder played a significant role in nurturing local talent. His studio attracted aspiring artists, including J H Pierneef, who would later become notable in his own right (see lot 7). Facing difficulties after the war, Oerder returned to the Netherlands in 1908. He married the still life painter Gerda Pitlo in Amsterdam in 1910, whose niece, it is believed, forms the subject of the present lot. After suffering from pneumonia, Oerder died in Pretoria in 1944. Throughout his life, he balanced his work between landscape, portrait, and still-life painting, remaining faithful to the Dutch painterly traditions which inspired his practice.
£6,500-8,000
Frans David Oerder - self portrait no copyright
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge
CECIL SKOTNES (SOUTH AFRICAN 1926-2009)
STILL LIFE WITH FRUIT
signed and dated C. Skotnes 89 and inscribed lower margin
watercolour on paper
33 x 45cm; 13 x 17 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Gift from Artist
Then by direct descent to the present owner
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
Cecil Skotnes was renowned for his innovative approach to art-making and his deep influence on the cultural landscape of his country. Particularly celebrated for his painted and incised wooden panels, striking woodblock prints, public murals, tapestries, and sculpture, Skotnes pioneered new techniques that utilised earth pigments and indigenous wood, crafting visual narratives that referenced the rich body of African precolonial visual culture.
Skotnes’s artistic career was marked by experimentation and transformation. He developed a unique method of art production, using earth pigments and local woods to tell stories visually, connecting his works to the continent’s history and environment. Notably, he was instrumental in producing significant public art, including public murals and large-scale commissions. Among his most acclaimed pieces are “The assassination of Shaka” (1973) print portfolio and the impressive series of twenty-four large incised panels installed at the 1820 Settlers Monument in Grahamstown.
Born in East London to missionary parents, Skotnes’s early years were shaped by his upbringing and education. After completing school, he worked briefly in a draughtsman’s office before joining the South African forces in Europe in 1944. Upon his return to South Africa, he pursued his passion for art, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art (BAFA) from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1951.
Initially, Skotnes’s engagement with woodcutting focused on the traditional process of cutting blocks for printing. Over time, he shifted his attention to the blocks themselves, transforming them into painted and shaped surfaces rather than simply using them as a means for printmaking. This evolution in his technique set his work apart and led to his further experimentation with murals and other public art commissions.
Beyond his achievements as a practising artist, Skotnes was highly regarded as a teacher and mentor. He served as the cultural officer at the influential Polly Street Art Centre, nurturing many young talents and playing a pivotal role in the development of the South African art scene. He was also a founding member of the Amadlozi Group, further cementing his commitment to advancing local art and artists.
Throughout his life, Skotnes was deeply committed to fostering creative potential, particularly in communities marginalised by the apartheid regime. His dedication to nurturing talent and encouraging creativity in places deliberately excluded by government policies had a profound and lasting impact. His efforts benefitted not only his family and students but also countless emerging artists, friends, and admirers of his work.
Cecil Skotnes’s contributions to art and society have been widely recognised. He received honorary degrees from universities and was awarded a gold medal by the State President, acknowledging his service to the nation and, most significantly, his role in the de-racialisation of South African art. His legacy lives on in the communities he uplifted, the artists he mentored, and the enduring resonance of his art.
£1,000-1,500
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 10
RORKES DRIFT (SOUTH AFRICAN) BOYS CHALLENGE
initialed SN lower right; labelled and titled on the reverse pure Karakul hand spun wool
86.5 x 138cm; 34 x 54 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the ELC Art & Craft Centre, Rorke’s Drift, c.2001
Private Collection, Canada
Private Collection Johannesburg
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
The Rorke’s Drift tapestries originated from the Evangelical Lutheran Church Art and Craft Centre in Rorke’s Drift, South Africa, beginning in 1963. This initiative was significant for the Swedish facilitators at Rorke’s Drift, who saw historical storytelling as a means for artists to assert their self-identity and resilience, all while remaining cautious of attracting suspicion from the agents of apartheid.
Primarily produced by local women, these tapestries served not only as an important source of income but also as a vehicle for personal expression. Through their work, the artists conveyed individual voices, often embedding political and social commentary on the apartheid regime using metaphors and adapted biblical narratives. The art centre nurtured creativity, and the resulting tapestries gained international recognition. However, interpretations often varied, with Swedish perspectives on cultural philanthropy sometimes diverging from the artists’ own intentions.
Questions remain about how this cohort of women chose to represent the past, the sources of historical knowledge that informed their works, and the interactions between the two workshops – namely, weaving and printmaking – during the dynamic period of the 1960s and 1970s. Although these tapestries were displayed and acquired by South African museums, few received the attention of scholars.
South African institutions were slow to acquire artworks by black women. Among the first acquisitions were tapestries from the Swedish art centre at Rorke’s Drift. However, it is not widely known that many works by these marginalised African women were already present in Swedish collections, having featured in prominent exhibitions such as Woven in Africa, which debuted at the Röhsska Museum of Design and Craft in Göteborg in 1965.
Despite the scale of this initiative and the celebration of Sweden’s role in the reimagining of African culture, much has been forgotten about these “stranded” works and the subjectivities that shaped them. Even when the tapestries echoed the iconographies of printed works, they acquired additional layers of meaning through artist preferences, scale, colour, and tactility. These visual strategies formed a persuasive part of the concepts that women articulated through their tapestries.
Artists such as Regina Buthelezi, Ester Nxumalo, and Philda Majozi developed complex iconographies, often by appropriating designs from fine art studios. The ongoing disappearance of these tapestries from public collections has only deepened the invisibility of the women’s contributions to art and history.
£1,500-2,500
Rorkes Drift Tapestries
“Esther Mahlangu is one of the most important artists of our time who continues to inspire artists all over the world. Mahlangu is a visionary who brings art into society”
Hans Ulrich Obrist
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge
ESTHER MAHLANGU (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1935)
UNTITLED (TRAY WITH NDEBELE PATTERN)
signed and dated ESTHeR Mahlangu 2014 on the handle
acrylic on wood
33.2 x 48.7 x 8.1cm; 13 x 19 1/4 x 3in
Provenance
Acquired from the artist
Sale, Strauss and Co, Johannesburg, 1 August to 18 August 2025, lot 244
Acquired from the above by the present owner
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
Esther Nikwambi Mahlangu is a South African artist of the Southern Ndebele people. She learned the Ndebele tradition of mural painting from her mother and grandmother from about age ten, and is credited with transforming that tradition - originally practiced on adobe walls - into a contemporary visual language on canvas, metal, vehicles and other unconventional supports. Her international breakthrough occurred in the 1989 Magiciens de la terre exhibition in Paris, and again in 1991 when she was commissioned to paint a BMW 5 Series as a part of the Art Car Program, alongside artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Julie Mehretu. Mahlangu’s distinct Ndebele patterns find their most playful application with the present lot. A simple tray is covered with Mahlangu’s hand-painted vibrant geometric designs. Executed in 2014, Untitled (Tray with Ndebele Pattern) demonstrates Mahlangu’s self-proclaimed proficiencies as the best mural painter of the Ndebele on a uniquely intimate scale. One of her murals is currently installed at the Serpentine Gallery, London until 31 March 2026.
STELLA SHAWZIN (SOUTH AFRICAN 1920-2020) CROUCHING WOMAN
initialled SS on the base
aragonite marble
42 x 25 x 30cm; 16 1/2 x 9 3/4 x 11 3/4in Provenance
Die Kunskamer, Cape Town Sale, Bonhams, London, 2021
Acquired from the above auction by the present owner
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
Born in Transvaal, South Africa, Stella Shawzin witnessed the impact of Apartheid early in life. Initially passionate about the performing arts, she trained as an actor, singer, and dancer, appearing in UK plays and films in her twenties. She later studied painting under Martin Bloch in London, attended the 57th Street Art Students League in New York, and furthered her skills at Pratt Institute. Ultimately, Shawzin focused on sculpture, mastering materials like bronze, wood, metal, and marble – establishing a foundry in Cape Town and carving marble in Carrara, Italy. Her works are known for their sense of lightness and movement. Shawzin is recognized as a leading figure in South African modern art.
£1,500-2,500
Stella Shawzin (Copyright artist estate)
“My art is my life, and to evoke a response from the viewer is to share part of my life.”
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge
MAUREEN QUIN
(SOUTH AFRICAN b.1934-)
ANIMAL BIRD MAN ON BENCH
signed, dated and numbered Quin / 1988 1/4 on the reverse bronze
58 x 64.5 x 30cm; 22 3/4 x 25 1/4 x 11 3/4in
Provenance
Dr Matthys Johannes Strydom Family Collection Day Sale, Strauss and Co, Johannesburg, Dr Matthys Jonannes Strydom Family Collection, 22 November 2022, lot 88 Acquired from the above by the present owner
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
Literature
Jannet Flynn and Dorothy du Plessis (eds) (2014) Maureen Quin: Master Sculptor: Six Decades of Sculptural Excellence, Alexandria: Du Plessis House, illustrated in colour on page 34
“My works are sculptures first and foremost, the result of deep emotional responses to the world around me. They are not illustrative, conveying their message to the viewer in a subtler way. My sculptures are triggered by human relationships and predicaments, and they find expression through the human figure.” - Maureen Quin
Quin’s style combines elements of figurative tradition and abstraction, and often addresses human experiences such as compassion, struggle, and resilience. Her sculptures reflect her engagement with social issues and her environment, being characterised by their “eloquent voids” and visual tension. Quin typically produces multiple anatomical sketches to establish a connection with the subject matter, then constructs an armature and applies clay before casting the sculpture in bronze, thereby creating elongated and dynamic forms. The interaction between the artist and the work is integral to her creative process.
The sculptor attended the School of Fine Arts in Durban from 1952 to 1955 and later received a bursary to study at Goldsmith College of Art in London. She has worked as a professional artist for over 60 years, participating in group and solo exhibitions since 1962, and has received numerous awards for her contribution to sculpture in South Africa. Her works are included in the collections of several South African universities and institutions such as the Pretoria Art Museum, Rupert Museum, and Standard Bank.
£2,200-2,800
Maureen Quin - Copyright the artist
“When Gail Catlin started talking about her art, her eyes changed blues at such an alarming rate she might have been connected to an unreliable electricity supply.”
Lin Sampson
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 14
GAIL CATLIN (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1948)
TOTEM FIGURES (I & II)
mixed media and liquid crystal on coiled wire (i) signed and dated Catlin Segal 24 lower right (ii) signed Gail lower right each 97 x 13cm; 38 1/4 x 5in each 151 x 66cm; 59 1/2 x 25 3/4in (framed) (2)
Provenance
Acquired from artist in 1999
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
Gail Catlin started working with bronze, but made a name for herself in the South African art world with her liquid crystal paintings. While Catlin lived in Arniston, she became fascinated, but also frustrated, by the nacreous quality of sea shells and mother-of-pearl, and was convinced that a new colour spectrum needed to be developed to capture the subtle and ever-changing shades of Nature. She also realised that she was more fascinated by the colour spectrum of the moon than of the sun.
While at the Royal College of Art in London in 1983, Catlin visited Imperial College and asked the scientists there how she could capture the pearly colour of sea shells. They advised her to use a mirror to split white light into the colour spectrum. She made contact with a Dr Cyril Hilsum at General Electric, who was a world expert on liquid crystal and indeed it was he who first introduced her to the mesophase.
The beauty of liquid crystals from an artist’s point of view, is that they are infinitely flexible and fluid and can be painted onto an artwork; for her, it is like painting with liquid diamonds. Through painstaking experimentation over many enormously frustrating years, both in England and South Africa, Catlin gradually began to master the fugitive alchemy of liquid crystals.
The artist has exhibited in France, Russia, England, Germany and America as well as the Demarco European Art Foundation, Edinburgh, UK and the Kaust Science Museum, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is the recipient of many international awards for her work. Her is represented in all the major public art museums and corporate collections in South Africa.
signed and dated CHARLY 00 lower right; inscribed on the reverse mixed media on canvas
109.5 x 87.5cm; 43 x 34 1/2in
111.5 x 89.5cm; 44 x 35 1/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Painted in 2000, L’Oracle captures Charly D’Almeida’s fascination with Vodun cosmology and the unseen forces that shape human experience. Merging abstraction, and symbolic form, the work embodies his belief that the spiritual and material worlds are intertwined. The present works were acquired directly from the artist by the current owner, whose connection to D’Almeida began through a journey of rediscovery. Having travelled across Ghana as a young volunteer with a UNESCO programme, the collector later revisited the region’s traditions during a period of personal transformation. His research into Benin’s Vodun practices led him to D’Almeida, whose art sought to reframe West African spirituality beyond Western misinterpretation. Meeting the artist and his family in Paris, and later attending a ceremony in Cotonou, he acquired L’Oracle and Traces – works that speak to revelation, resilience, and the enduring dialogue between body and spirit.
£1,000-1,500
Property of a Private Collector, Kent 16
CHARLY D’ALMEIDA (BENINESE B.1968) TRACES
signed and dated CHARLY 98 lower right; inscribed No 2 on the reverse construction of wood, metal and string
119.5 x 30 x 8cm; 47 1/4 x 12in x 3 1/4in Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£1,200-1,500
MOZAMBIQUE
Property of a Private Collector, Kent
MALANGATANA NGWENYA (MOZAMBICAN 1936-2011)
WOMEN IN MOTION
signed and dated Malangana 2003 lower right ink on paper
24 x 20cm; 9 1/2 x 8in
29.2 x 24.4cm; 11 1/2 x 9 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Contemporary African Art Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner Malangatana Valente Ngwenya stands among Mozambique’s most celebrated painters and poets, his vivid compositions fusing myth, memory and social commentary. Born in rural Mozambique, Malangatana’s early life was shaped by his mother – a traditional healer and tattooist – whose practices and symbols would later animate his art with teeth, claws, and metamorphic human forms.
Executed in 2003, Women in Motion distils the dynamism and communal spirit central to his oeuvre. The densely interwoven figures, rendered in urgent, rhythmic linework, evoke both ritual dance and collective resistance. Though created decades after Mozambique’s independence, the work carries the same emotional charge that defined his paintings of the liberation period: the assertion of vitality against struggle. Women in Motion exemplifies Malangatana’s lifelong ability to merge mythology, politics and personal expression into a language of movement and hope.
£1,200-1,500
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 18
BRETT CHARLES SEILER (ZIMBABWEAN B.1994)
BREAKING UP AND HOOKING UP bitumen on canvas
146 x 91.5cm; 57 1/2 x 36in
148 x 93.5cm; 58 1/4 x 36 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired directly from artist Strauss and Co, Cape Town Sale, Strauss & Co., 24 June 2025, lot 244
Acquired from the above auction by the present owner The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
Exhibited gallery LAB, FNB Art Joburg, Pride or Die, curated by Jana Terblanche, 6 to 18 November 2020
Brett Charles Seiler’s paintings present an interior world that references themes of desire, anxiety, the male body, domestic space, poetry, Queer history, Biblical symbolism, love, and alienation. His use of material, colour, and line has developed into a distinct style.
In his early works, Seiler incorporated accessible materials such as found photographs and fabric. His approach emphasises the role of the raw materials in the conceptual potency of the finished composition; the unrefined texture and sketched lines suggest moments captured and preserved.
In Seiler’s conventional scenes, backgrounds create ambiguity, with both flatness and depth coexisting. The depiction of male subjects (such as that of Breaking Up and Hooking Up) features delicate linework, while their poses convey an intimacy not articulated to the viewer. These compositions have been compared to Cezanne’s studies of men but differ in their symbolic and narrative emphasis.
The composition and its resulting conceptual interpretations reflect Seiler’s experiences and perspectives related to identity. His work also demonstrates an interest in artistic practice and art history. Brett currently lives and works between Cape Town, South Africa and Leipzig, Germany, and graduated from The Ruth Prowse School of Art in 2015.
£4,000-6,000
Brett Charles SeilerCopyright the artist
GHANA
Property of a Private Collector, London 19
THEOPHILUS TETTEH (GHANAIAN B.1991)
UNTITLED
signed Nii Odai lower right
acrylic on canvas
152.4 x 127cm; 60 x 50in unframed
Provenance
Janet Rady Fine Art
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2022
Theophilus Tetteh is a figurative artist whose creative journey is profoundly shaped by the principles of Impressionism. His work centres on capturing the daily movements and subtle interactions of local people within his home city of Accra, utilising light and colour to artfully manipulate the tempo of these moments. Through his distinctive approach, Tetteh is able to decelerate or accelerate the energy within his compositions, drawing attention to the vibrancy of urban life.
In Tetteh’s paintings, figures are depicted as active agents within their environments, each radiating a sense of intensity and independence. This dynamic presence not only defines the individuals themselves but also influences the atmosphere that surrounds them, creating a palpable connection between character and context.
Central to Tetteh’s work is the condensation of his subjects’ internal sentiments and tensions. He channels these emotions through the eyes, using them as expressive outlets that reveal the inner workings of each character. This focus transforms his subjects into independent, bold, and daring entities, each with their own psychological narrative.
Theophilus Tetteh lives and works in Accra, Ghana. He studied Graphic Design and Painting at Marimus Art School, where he developed an expressionist and experimental approach using different media. Tetteh has participated in solo shows and group projects across Ghana, notably the Kente Design Project for Kejetia Market (Kumasi, 2017), the National Theatre of Ghana (Accra, 2018) and The faces I can’t forget exhibition (2023). Additionally, his work has been shown internationally at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (2021) and in London at Mayer Brown x Artiq and the Coningsby Gallery (2021), as well as the Affordable Art Fair in Brussels and Amsterdam. He was awarded Artist of the Year (2021) by the BE OPEN Foundation and is also a member of the Ghana Association of Visual Artists (GAVA).
† £3,000-5,000
Theophilus Tetteh
Property of a Private Collector, London
THEOPHILUS TETTEH (GHANAIAN B.1991)
THIS IS ME
signed Nii odai lower right acrylic on canvas
127 x 91.4cm; 50 x 36in unframed
Provenance
Janet Rady Fine Art
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2022 see note to lot 19
† £1,500-2,500
Property of a Private Collector, London 21
JAMES MISHIO (GHANAIAN B.1997)
RED CAP SCULPTOR
signed and dated Mishio 2021 lower right acrylic, oil and fabric on canvas 101.6 x 101.6cm; 40 x 40in unframed
Provenance
Janet Rady Fine Art
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2022 James Mishio is a Ghanaian mixed-media painter who lives and works in Accra. His practice layers oil, acrylic, pastel and found objects with palette-knife impasto to create abstracted figurative works which foreground the humanity of his subjects. His works have shown in gallery contexts including Coningsby Gallery (London) and Pearl Lam Galleries (Hong Kong), and he has featured in a collaborative exhibition “Bird of a Feather” presented by Phillips Auction House and Artemartis –positioning him among a rising cohort in Ghana’s contemporary scene.
Exemplified by the present lot, Red Cap Sculptor, Mishio’s impasto technique when applied to the depiction of his figures gives a sculptural quality to the skin of his sitters. The artist employs this device to highlight the history of oppression and resilience associated with blackness. In this work, Mishio’s sitter is depicted sculpting a traditional stool, an indelible constituent of Ghanaian visual culture and artistic heritage. Believed to be imbued with the soul of its sitter, the stool and its sculptor might be construed as representing the importance of traditional cultural practice to contemporary postcolonial life. The work is thus an act of synthesis in itself, utilising the pictorial devices of global contemporary art to recentre the precolonial artistic tradition.
† £3,000-5,000
James Mishio
TOGO
Property of a Private Collector, Kent 22
EMMANUEL KAVI (TOGOLESE B.1972)
LE DEVOIR DE MEMOIRE
signed E.KAVI lower left; inscribed on the reverse mixed media on canvas
77 x 61cm; 30 1/2 x 24in
85.3 x 69.7cm; 33 1/2 x 27 1/2in (framed)
Emmanuel Kavi’s work bridges figuration and abstraction through a tactile, layered approach that reflects both local and global art histories. Rooted in the aesthetic tenets of postcolonial modernism, his practice engages the intellectual legacy of Négritude, the mid-20th-century movement that sought to reclaim African identity and cultural agency within Francophone discourse.
In Le Devoir de Mémoire (2003), geometric, mask-like forms emerge from gestural fields of colour, recalling the formal experimentation of artists associated with Senegal’s post-independence Académie des Beaux-Arts founded by artists like Ibou Diouf. The title, translating to “The Duty of Memory”, suggests both a commemoration and a reckoning, as Kavi fuses abstract modernist syntax with African symbolic form. The present work stands as a meditation on the persistence of history, embodying the dialogue between tradition and modernity that defines Francophone African art in the postcolonial era.
£800-1,200
Emmanuel Kavi
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 23
STEVE BANDOMA (CONGOLESE B.1981)
POSERS (FROM ECSTASY SERIES)
signed, titled and numbered 4/7 Posers
(From Ecstasy Series) Bandoma on lower margin
mixed media on paper
105.4 x 75.1cm; 41 1/2 x 29 1/2in
113.6 x 83.8cm; 44 3/4 x 33in (framed)
Provenance
Galerie Angalia, Paris
Sale, Bonhams, London
The DinksFãStan Private Collection
Galerie Angalia, Paris Sale, Bonhams, London
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
£2,500-3,500
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 24
STEVE BANDOMA (CONGOLESE B.1981)
POSERS (FROM ECSTASY SERIES)
signed, titled and numbered 6/7 Posers (From Ecstasy Series) Bandoma lower margin mixed media on canvas
105.4 x 75.1cm; 41 1/2 x 29 1/2in
113.6 x 83.8cm; 44 3/4 x 33in (framed)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection see note to lot 23
Galerie Angalia, Paris Sale, Bonhams, London
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
£2,500-3,500
Steve Bandoma is among the leading voices of a new generation of Congolese artists whose work interrogates identity, power and consumerism in a globalised world. Trained at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Kinshasa and later based in South Africa before returning home in 2011, Bandoma developed a distinctive visual language combining collage, ink, and expressive splashes of pigment.
In Posers (from the Ecstasy Series), the artist orchestrates a vivid collision of fragmented bodies, advertising imagery and gestural abstraction. The frenetic composition, part satire, part self-portrait of contemporary excess, reflects Bandoma’s ongoing critique of the spectacle of consumption and the commodification of identity.
Exhibited widely across Europe and Africa, Bandoma’s work situates Kinshasa within the conversation of global contemporary art while maintaining a distinctly Congolese sensibility; one that merges performance, the visual culture of urban Africa, and painterly experimentation into a potent visual commentary on postcolonial life.
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 25
STEVE BANDOMA (CONGOLESE B.1981)
POSERS (FROM ECSTASY SERIES)
signed, titled and numbered 2/7 Posers (From Ecsasy Series)
Bandoma on lower margin mixed media on canvas
105.4 x 75.1cm; 41 1/2 x 29 1/2in
113.6 x 83.8cm; 44 3/4 x 33in (framed)
Provenance
Galerie Angalia, Paris Sale, Bonhams, London
The DinksFãStan Private Collection
see note to lot 23
Galerie Angalia, Paris Sale, Bonhams, London
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
£2,500-3,500
Property of a Private Collector, Cambridge 26
STEVE BANDOMA (CONGOLESE B.1981)
POSERS (FROM ECSTASY SERIES)
signed, titled and numbered 5/7 Posers (From Ecstasy Series)
Bandoma on lower margin mixed media on canvas
105.4 x 75.1cm; 41 1/2 x 29 1/2in
113.6 x 83.8cm; 44 3/4 x 33in (framed)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection
see note to lot 23
Galerie Angalia, Paris Sale, Bonhams, London
The DinksFãStan Private Collection, Cambridge, UK
£2,500-3,500
Property of a Private Collector, Madrid
27
ANJEL (BORIS ANJE TABUFOR) (CAMEROONIAN B.1993) FON
signed and dated angel 18 lower right posca paint and acrylic on canvas
140 x 110cm; 55 x 43 1/4in unframed
Provenance
AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Boris Anjé Tabufor, known as Anjel, is part of a new generation of Cameroonian painters whose work explores the intersection of identity, aspiration, and global consumer culture. A graduate of the Institut des Beaux-Arts de Foumban, Anjel lives and works in Douala, drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of urban youth and the visual codes of luxury branding.
In Fon, a young man is surrounded by garments and logos that both define and constrain him. Executed in acrylic and Posca paint, the composition reflects the artist’s crisp graphic sensibility and his dialogue with the visual language of fashion imagery. Beneath the surface allure lies a nuanced critique of material aspiration and the politics of self-presentation in contemporary African society: an interrogation of the performance and consumption of identity in the global age.
‡ £1,500-2,000
Property of a Private Collector, Madrid
JEAN DAVID NKOT (CAMEROONIAN B.1989)
BEYOND THE LOOK @YAHOO.FR
signed, titled, inscribed and dated in English NKOT JEAN DAVID / 2018 on the reverse acrylic and Posca paint marker on canvas
129.5 x 120cm; 51 x 47in unframed
Provenance
Jack Bell Gallery, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Portrait-painter Jean David Nkot is concerned with themes of migration and exile, particularly within the contemporary African context. Nkot employs various media including painting, silkscreen, and India ink, to create profound portraits commemorating lives lost on perilous journeys, serving to make their stories visible. Nkot attended the Institute of Fine Arts Foumban, where he obtained a degree in drawing and painting. His brightly coloured figures are painted over detailed cartographic patterns, mapping each subject’s geographical and emotional journeys. The artist refers to these works as ‘molecule maps’ and cites the emotive figurative painters Zhang Dali, Francis Bacon and Jenny Saville as his inspiration. Nkot has exhibited internationally and in his native Cameroon at the National Museum.
‡ £1,500-2,000
Property from an Important Private Collection, UK
29
FAMAKAN MAGASSA (MALIAN B.1997)
SOIF DE TENDRESSE
signed and dated MF Magassa 21 lower right
acrylic on canvas
80 x 66cm; 31 1/2 x 26in unframed
Provenance
Albertz Benda, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
New York, Albertz Benda, Famakan Magassa: Soifs, 2022
A rising voice in contemporary African art, Famakan Magassa graduated from the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers Multimédia Balla Fasséké Kouyaté in Bamako and was awarded the Norval Sovereign African Art Prize in 2023. The same year, he presented his first solo institutional exhibition at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, confirming his status as one of the most dynamic young artists of his generation.
With the present works, Magassa’s signature elongated figures inhabit a surreal world that oscillates between satire and allegory. Rooted in the visual languages of West African folklore yet attuned to global contemporary art, Magassa’s paintings reveal the enduring power of irony and imagination as tools for social reflection. Magassa has shown internationally in Paris, London, Miami, Ghana, and Vienna. His work has been featured by Artsy, Hyperallergic, Artnet, The Observer, L’Oeuil and ArtsMagazine
£1,000-2,000
Famakan Magassa Courtesy of the artist
Property from a Very Important Private Collection, UK 30
MAGASSA (MALIAN B.1997)
MOTHER IN LOVE
signed and dated N.F Magassa 21 lower right acrylic on canvas
76.5 x 68.5cm; 30 1/8 x 27in unframed
Provenance
Albertz Benda Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner see note to lot 29
£2,000-3,000
FAMAKAN
Property of a Private Collector, Kent
31
SOLY CISSE (SENEGALESE B.1969) UNE VIE SOCIALE
signed SOLY lower right oil on canvas
70.5 x 155.8cm; 27 3/4 x 61 1/4in unframed
A graduate of the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Dakar, Soly Cissé is one of Senegal’s foremost contemporary artists, celebrated for his ability to merge figuration and abstraction in a vivid exploration of identity and modern life.
In Une vie sociale, Cissé captures the rhythm and vitality of postcolonial Senegalese society; its myths, traditions, and exuberant social gatherings, while alluding to the tensions that underlie this collective energy. The work resonates with the legacy of Négritude, whose early post-independence optimism celebrated African creativity and humanism as the foundations of national renewal. Here, Cissé reinterprets that vision through a contemporary lens: his layered forms evoke both precolonial visual culture juxtaposed with a distinct expressionism, a reflection of the harmony and dissonance of a society negotiating tradition, progress, and globalization.
£2,000-3,000
Soly Cisse (right)
TUNISIA
Property of a Private Collector, Kent 32
ABDERRAZAK SAHLI (TUNISIAN 1941-2009)
(I) UNTITLED (II) UNTITLED
(i) and (ii) signed Sahli lower right (i) and (ii) oil and silver paint on sackcloth laid down on board (i) and (ii) 30.5 x 30cm; 12 x 12 1/4in (i) and (ii) 53 x 53cm; 20 3/4in x 20 3/4in (framed) (2)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Born in Hammamet, Tunisia, Abderrazak Sahli embarked on a career in the visual arts in the 1960s, prompted by his friend and mentor Nejib Belkhodja, founder of the Tunis School of Art. Sahli graduated from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Tunis in 1969 (where he later became Head), and subsequently studied plastic and graphic arts in Paris. Back in Tunisia, he taught at the art school in Nabeul, whilst also running the Cultural Magazine for Tunisian artists and was the Artistic spokesman for Radio Mosque in Tunis. During this time he moved away from figuration into abstraction and expanded into photography, installations, and sculpture, drawing on the Abstract Expressionist and Russian Suprematist art that he encountered in Paris. However, at heart, he remained attached to his cultural environment from his homeland.
Sahli’s works blend elements of North African architecture, African and Berber objects, and Phoenician calligraphy, often using sakhane jute as a base for abstract motifs inspired by his childhood. By merging local traditions with contemporary methods, he created colourful, dynamic pieces featuring dancing forms and imaginative figures.
£1,000-1,500
“My painting is principally based on a multitude of objects and forms; it translates diversity. The clutter of objects in my canvases is nothing but a representation of the crowd, the dense crowd that is force and movement.”
Abderrazak Sahli
Property of a Private Collector, London
ARWA ABOUON (CANADIAN/LIBYAN 1982-2020)
JNAN NUWARR
digital print on duratrans in lightbox 220 x 81.5cm; 86 5/8 x 32 1/8in (framed)
Executed in 2008, this work is number 2 from an edition of 3.
Provenance
The Third Line Gallery, Dubai
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Arwa Abouon was a Libyan-Canadian artist who lived and worked in Montreal. Her largely photographic work probes – with beauty and often with humour – her individual experience of straddling multiple cultures and notions of plural identity.
Abouon studied design art at Montreal’s Concordia University, graduating in 2007. Born of Amazigh descent in Tripoli, Libya, her family immigrated to Canada when she was one year old. Inspired by her father who instilled a strong sense of family values in her, and frequently employing old photographs to teach herself about her Libyan heritage, Abouon often staged photographs in her narrative works.
The artist paid homage to the transgenerational transmission of traditional values through her work, considering a blend of subverted ideas of nostalgia and the diasporic longing for home. Her work was rooted in her dynamic personal reflections on human nature, striving to meet and see the world as it is while embracing the multiple perspectives of her thoughtful gaze. Her goal was to inspire “a finer appreciation of the Islamic culture” centring around the culture’s poetic foundations, rather than the political issues often associated with it.
Abouon’s estate is represented by the Third Line Gallery in Dubai where she had her first solo show, ‘Learning by Heart,’ in 2012. More recently, she held solo shows in London (Print Studio, 2015), Sharjah (Islamic Arts Festival, 2014) and Sabhan, Kuwait (Sultan Gallery, 2014). In addition, Abouon participated in dozens of shows and art fairs in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, including at the Institut du monde arabe, Paris; the Bamako Biennale, Mali; and the Sharjah Museum, UAE, among others.
£1,500-2,500
“I’ve always managed to display people positively because of my direct relationship with the individuals photographed. The ‘Islam’ you see in the work is the Islam of my household.”
Arwa Abouon
Arwa Abouon (courtesy Third Line)
EGYPTIAN WORKS (LOTS 34-54)
BARRY IVERSON (AMERICAN B.1956)
ANTIKHANA STREET LIFT
1980/1920’S NADIR
titled, dated, numbered and signed Antikhana Street Lift
1980/1920s/ Nadir 2/5 Barry Iverson lower margin handcoloured chromogenic print
49.5 x 48.5cm; 19 1/2 x 19in
83.5 x 73cm; 33 x 28 3/4in (framed)
Executed in 1980 and printed in 2014.
Provenance
Studio of the artist
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist
Barry Iverson was a photographer for Time Magazine for 25 years covering the Middle East from 1981-2007, photographing all of the major events of the region for a quarter century, including paradigm-changing events such as the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, the takedown of the Taliban in Afghanistan in the aftermath of September 11, coup d’etats, archaeology and famine.
Iverson is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. In 1985, after two years of research at Harvard University and the Harvard Semitic Museum, he won a Fulbright Scholarship to research the history of photography in Egypt, and concurrently taught photography at the American University in Cairo during the 1985-86 academic year.
Iverson has produced several fine art portfolios, including The Tour, Still, Egyptian Desert Views I & II, Cairo I & II, Antiquity, Egyptian Portraits, Comparative Views of Egypt, Aged, The Cinders of Gawhara Palace, Sand & Stone, Comparative Views of Harvard. Iverson has published Comparative Views of Egypt (1994), and Egypt 1900: The View Through Postcards (1993), and written the biographies of photographers Van Leo (of whom Iverson was largely responsible for the transfer of his entire archive to AUC), Riad Chehata, and the Leavitt Hunt/Nathan Baker photographic partnership.
Iverson holds a large archive of 19th & 20th century photographs of the Near East. It was the early works and study of photographers like Frith, Greene, Du Camp, Hunt/Baker as well as Walker Evans, which deeply affected Iverson’s own personal vision and style. Iverson’s work references the Near East and his practice is rooted in the New Topographics movement of the 1970s, and further shaped by photographic history, documentary work and cinematic influences.
£700-1,000
Barry Iverson
Property from a Private Collection, Hampstead
35
CHANT AVEDISSIAN (EGYPTIAN 1951-2018)
UNTITLED signed Chant lower right oil on canvas
51 x 49.5cm; 20 x 19 1/2in unframed
Provenance
Aquired from the artist by the present owner
Chant Avedissian was born to a family of Armenian refugees in Boulaq, a poor suburb of Cairo, Egypt. In 1967 he graduated from the Kalousdian Armenian school. After studying fine art at the School of Art and Design in Montreal and applied arts at the National Higher School of Decorative Arts in Paris during the 1970s, Avedissian returned to Egypt. His work frequently addressed questions of national identity, traditions, and culture, fusing techniques, concepts and cosmopolitan experiences acquired abroad with the heritage of his Armenian-Egyptian background to produce striking commentaries on the world around him.
Through his collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation and noted Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy (1900-1989), Avedissian developed an interest in traditional art forms and local materials, which informed his approach to exploring his own identity.
Avedissian began working with Hassan Fathy in 1981, managing his archives, cataloguing drawings, plans, and theoretical texts, a partnership that continued until Fathy’s death. During this time, he also documented Fathy’s buildings across Egypt through photography for a book published by the Aga Khan Foundation. Fathy’s perspectives on the importance of integrating genuine Egyptian art with craft revival efforts - as well as his view that combining ancient and modern art should avoid external influences - significantly influenced Avedissian’s artistic development. Many works produced by Avedissian during the 1980s reflect methods and content shaped by this association, notably he produced numerous paintings of mosques, such as the present lot, some of which are featured in publications by Hassan Fathy.
His work is in very prominent public collections such as The British Museum (UK), Mathaf Museum of Modern Art (Qatar), National Museum of African Art - Smithsonian Institution (USA), the British Airways Collection (UK) and National Museum of Scotland, amongst others.
£5,000-8,000
Property from a Private Collection, Hampstead 36
CHANT AVEDISSIAN (EGYPTIAN 1951-2018)
UNTITLED signed Chant lower right oil on canvas
50.5 x 50.5cm; 20 x 20in unframed
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner see note to lot 35
£5,000-8,000
Chant Avedissian (courtesy AGBU Egypt)
Property from a Private Collection, Hampstead 37
CHANT AVEDISSIAN
(EGYPTIAN 1951-2018)
FALLAHA
signed Chant centre right pen, pencil, gouache, oil pastel and acrylic on paper
33.5 x 16cm; 13 1/4 x 6 1/4in
46.5 x 28.5cm; 18 1/4 x 11 1/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner see note to lot 35
£2,500-3,500
Property of a Private Collector, London 38
CHANT AVEDISSIAN (EGYPTIAN 1951-2018)
AL RAYES (NASSER)
signed and inscribed in Arabic and English Al-Qãhirah/CHANT AVEDISSIAN
lower centre
gouache, stencil and metallic paint on card
48.5 x 67.5cm; 19 x 26 1/2in
60.1 x 80.7cm; 23 1/2 x 31 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the studio of the artist in 2006 by the present owner
“I don’t do art. I do fighting against influences. I paint, it’s not political art, but it’s an attitude.”
Chant Avedissian’s stencils of Gamal Abdel Nasser form a key part of his celebrated Icons of the Nile and Cairo Stencils series, which he began in 1991. These mixed-media works, often on corrugated cardboard, feature the former Egyptian President in a simplified, iconic style, frequently alongside other cultural figures like the legendary singer Om Kalsoum. Avedissian’s technique involves reusing and stylising images sourced from the Egyptian illustrated press of the 1950s and 1960s, the height of the Nasser era.
The repetition and recontextualisation of these images, often including symbols like the Eagle of Saladin and maps referencing Pan-Arabism, both celebrate and critically examine the visual culture of Nasserism, turning the heroic, propagandistic media portrayals into decorative, pattern based art.
£4,000-6,000
Chant Avedissian
TAHIA HALIM (EGYPTIAN 1919-2003)
FIGURES ON A BOAT
signed T. Halim lower left oil on canvas
75.5 x 48.5cm; 29 3/4 x 19in
89.5 x 64cm; 35 1/4 x 25 1/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from a private collection in Cairo in the 1980’s
Tahia Halim was born in Dongola, Sudan. From an early age, she demonstrated a strong interest in art while her father served as chamberlain to King Fouad (1868-1936) in Cairo. After completing her secondary education privately within the royal palace, Halim enrolled at Cairo’s Academy of Fine Arts. During her post-secondary education, Halim was mainly exposed to academic and impressionist styles. This was due to the Euro-centric curriculum at the Academy and the influence of her instructors. She later trained under the Lebanese painter Youssef al-Traboulsi and the Greek artist Alecco Jerome.
In 1940, Halim met the avant-garde artist Hamed Abdalla (1917-1985). The two married five years later and, in 1949, moved to Paris, where they both attended the Academie Julian. Halim returned to Cairo in 1951. A significant turning point in her artistic journey came in 1959, when she was sent to Nubia - the land of her birth - to document the process of building the Aswan High Dam on the Nile, which flooded much of Nubia and forced the relocation of over 100,000 people. There, she became fascinated by the rural way of life and the authentic character of the Nubians, whom she viewed as embodying centuries-old traditions of the land.
Her paintings serve as visual diaries, preserving daily life through vivid colours, earth tones, bold figuration, and impasto techniques inspired by both Coptic and Ancient Egyptian styles. These simple, evocative forms encapsulate the beauty and vibrancy of the Southern Nile. Works like Figures on a Boat capture routine scenes with artistic exaggeration and emphasise harmonious composition over strict proportion, celebrating Nubia’s rich history and Halim’s innovative approach.
Her emphasis on Nubian subjects reflected a broader movement among Egyptian artists to reclaim cultural identity during the post-colonial era, which resonated with audiences seeking national pride. Halim’s artistic choices were also shaped by the political environment of the time, as Egyptians sought to distance themselves from colonial authority.
Her celebrated career includes having works in several international collections. Notably, she became the first woman to be awarded the Guggenheim International Prize in 1958, an honour that highlights her significant contribution to Egyptian art and her lasting legacy.
£25,000-30,000
Tahia Halim Courtesy of the artist’s estate
Copyright Bill Zimmerman
Property of a Distinguished Private Collector, London
40
TAHIA HALIM (EGYPTIAN 1919-2003)
CROSS-LEGGED FEMALE FIGURE
signed T. Halim lower left gouache on paper
39.5 x 29.5cm; 15 1/2 x 11 1/2in
56.6 x 45.7cm; 22 1/4 x 18in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from a private collection in Cairo in the 1980’s see note to lot 39
£6,000-8,000
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 41
(EGYPTIAN 1919-2003)
FELLAH
initialed T.H. lower right oil on canvas
46.5 x 31.5cm; 18 1/4 x 12 1/4in
60.5 x 45.5cm; 23 3/4 x 17 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist
Family of Fakher Fakher (Egyptian actor, born in Assiut Governorate in 1921)
Acquired from the above by the present owner
see note to lot 39
‡ £6,000-9,000
TAHIA HALIM
Property of the Kamal E
Youssef Family Trust, Pittsburgh 42
KAMAL YOUSSEF (EGYPTIAN 1923-2019)
BIRD FAMILY
signed and dated KAMAL 2005 lower right; inscribed on the reverse oil on canvas
81.28 x 60.96cm; 32 x 24in
83.82 x 63.5cm; 33 x 25in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist
Exhibited
Lorretto, Pennsylvania, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Wall to Wall Kamal, 2014
Working in both painting and sculpture, Youssef’s subjects and genres include portraits, often of solitary figures with melancholic and introvert undertones, as well as scenes of everyday life, often paired with symbolic motives like animals or religious iconography. Inspired by his international career, he successfully synthesises local and regional traditions with Western influences, making valuable contributions to both Egyptian and international Surrealism.
During his teenage years, Youssef underwent rigorous training in art under a number of prominent artists known for their engagement with Egyptian Surrealism. In 1939, he joined the Art and Liberty Group, one of the most prominent art movements of the time and in 1946, he was a founding member of the Contemporary Art Group and played a crucial role in the development of Egypt’s modern art movement. After the 1952 revolution, Youssef made his home in Paris before moving to the US where he worked as an engineer for 20 years. His work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including The Sharjah Art Foundation (2016); Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Loretto, USA (2014); Bakersfield Museum of Art, USA (2008); Westmoreland Museum of Art, Greensburg, USA (1993); Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, USA (1962); Mediterranean Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt (1955); Museum of Modern Art, Cairo (1952); São Paulo Biennale (1952) and Venice Biennale (1950). Kamal also participated in the 1939 exhibition organised by the Art and Liberty Group, and in several of the Contemporary Art Group’s collective exhibitions between 1946 and 1954.
‡ £3,500-5,500
Property from a Private Collection, Jeddah
INJI EFFLATOUN (EGYPTIAN 1924-1989)
SUGAR CANE HARVEST
signed and dated I. Efflatoun 80 lower right watercolour on art paper
66 x 82cm; 26 x 32 1/2in 75cm x 92cm; 29 1/2 x 36 1/4in (framed)
Inji Efflatoun was born into a wealthy francophone family in Shubra, Cairo. Her career as an artist was heavily intertwined with her career as an activist, with strong anti-imperialist, and feminist beliefs. Efflatoun received a Catholic education throughout her childhood, studying at Collège du Sacré Coeur and Lyceé. She learned about the Arte et Liberté (“Art and Freedom”) movement when studying under Kamel el-Telmissany, one of the primary representatives of Egyptian surrealism. Efflatoun not only asserted her political stance through her work but also through intense militant activity.
She was one of the first women to study at the University of Cairo in 1945. There, she created the Ligue des jeunes femmes des universities et instituts (“League of young women in universities and institutes”). The league represented left-wing anti-colonial politics, fighting for gender equality. Along with her artwork, Efflatoun has also published three books calling for the end of the patriarchy and colonialism: 80 Million Women With Us (1948); We, The Egyptian Women (1950); and Peace and Evacuation (1951).
In 1959 Efflatoun was imprisoned for four years for her political activities by the Nasser Regime, an event which greatly impacted her painting style. During this period, her work focused on showing the realities of prison. However, once she left, she came to a more mature style, depicting predominately nature.
Now known as Efflatoun’s “white light period,” these works have vibrant colours, joyful compositions, and delicate brushstrokes. Both Sugar Cane Harvest and Tomato Seller (lot 44) are examples of this newfound delicacy that Efflatoun used after being released from prison. The compositions highlight the natural Egyptian landscape, using a much lighter application technique and medium than her works from previous decades.
‡ £7,000-8,000
Inji Efflatoun
Property from a Private Collection, Jeddah 44
INJI EFFLATOUN (EGYPTIAN 1924-1989)
TOMATO SELLER
signed and dated I Efflatoun 80 lower right watercolour on art paper
79 x 60cm; 31 x 23 1/4in
88.7 x 69.6cm; 35 x 27 1/2in (framed)
see note to lot 43
‡ £6,000-8,000
Property of a Private Collector, Edenbridge, Kent
45
ANNA BOGHIGUIAN (EGYPTIAN/CANADIAN B.1946)
UNTITLED (FROM ALEXANDRIA SERIES)
signed a Boghiguian lower right
acrylic on canvas
29.5 x 30cm; 11 1/2 x 11 3/4in
43.7 x 43.5cm; 17 1/4 x 17in (framed)
Provenance
Safa Khan Gallery, Zamalek
Acquired from the above in 2005/6 by the present owner Boghiguian has travelled all her life. The daughter of an Armenian clockmaker, she studied political science and art in Cairo, Egypt in the 1960s and arts and music in Montreal, Canada in the early 1970s. While keeping her studio and home in Cairo, Boghiguian travels extensively, bringing direct knowledge of world cultures and politics into her work.
A close observer of the human condition, Boghiguian proposes a unique and diverse interpretation of contemporary life. She draws equally on the past and the present, poetry and politics, joyfulness and a critique of the modern world. Travelling in time, she often uses the poems of the great Alexandrian Constantin V. Cavafy, recalling the notable cosmopolitan mediterranean city that once stood home for many cultures and civilizations. Boghiguian’s work has been exhibited internationally, including the Istanbul Biennial (2009), Sharjah Biennial (2011), DOCUMENTA(13) (2012), Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Sharjah Art Foundation (2017-18), TATE St Ives (2019), and is currently on view at Turner Contemporary, Margate. She received the Golden Lion at the 2015 Venice Biennale and in 2024, she was awarded the prestigious Wolfgang Hahn Prize in Germany.
£4,000-6,000
Anna Boghiguian
Property of a Private Collector, Edenbridge, Kent 46
ANNA BOGHIGUIAN (EGYPTIAN/CANADIAN B.1946)
UNTITLED (FROM THE ALEXANDRIA SERIES)
signed and dated A Boghiguian 2003 on the reverse
acrylic on canvas
49.7 x 39.5cm; 19 1/2 x 15 1/2in
62.6 x 52.1cm; 24 1/2 x 20 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Safa Khan Gallery, Zamalek
Acquired from the above in 2005/6 by the present owner
see note to lot 45
£7,000-9,000
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
MAHMOUD SAID
(EGYPTIAN 1897-1964)
SELF PORTRAIT
inscribed on the reverse pencil on paper
14 x 8cm; 5 1/2 x 3 1/4in
23 x 16cm; 9 x 6 1/4in (mounted)
Executed c.1940’s
Provenance
Youssef Pasha Zulficar
Thence by descent to the present owner
The authenticity of this lot has been confirmed by Dr Hussam Rashwan and Valérie Didier Hess; it will be included in the Mahmoud Saïd catalogue raisonné
The renowned Egyptian painter and pioneer of modern Arab art, Mahmoud Said, is celebrated for his vibrant oil paintings, but his pencil portraits and drawings are equally significant to his body of work. These pencil studies, typically rendered on a modest scale and possessing a simple, intimate quality, demonstrate his exceptional command of line and his ongoing pursuit to depict the human form and spirit. They provide insight into Said’s creative process, underscoring both his technical proficiency and his enduring dedication to portraiture. Employing pencil and other drawing media such as charcoal, he created works for a variety of purposes, including preparatory studies for large-scale oil compositions and independent portrait pieces. His self-portraits, exemplified by the present work, present an honest and direct portrayal of the artist himself.
‡ £2,000-3,000
Mahmoud Said
EFFAT NAGUI
(EGYPTIAN 1905-1994)
UNTITLED
signed Effat Nagui lower right pastel on paper
35 x 25cm; 13 3/4 x 9 3/4in
52 x 43cm; 20 1/2 x 17in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Effat Nagui, born into an aristocratic family in Alexandria and sister to artist Mohammed Naghi, developed a passion for art during her travels across Egypt. She studied frescoes and mural painting in Rome from 1947 to 1950, which greatly influenced her work.
Returning to Egypt, Nagui pursued a distinctive nationalistic artistic style, depicting peasant life and folkloric celebrations. Her early works reflected Fauvist and European influences, shaped further by private tutoring and travels with her father and brother. These experiences deepened her appreciation of Egypt’s ancient heritage.
Nagui exhibited Fauvist-inspired pieces in Alexandria and focused on rural scenes like those from Abu Hummus Village. From the 1960s, her art evolved as she researched history extensively at the Great Library of Cairo, drawing inspiration from various eras and disciplines.
In 1937, she was awarded a Ministry of Culture scholarship, enabling deeper immersion in Egypt’s heritage. Nagui’s internationally recognised work combined artifacts, colours, and objects, embodying the power and mystery of Egyptian traditions.
The Effat Naji and Saad Al-Khadim Museum was established in Cairo in 2002 to honour her legacy. The museum displays 198 works by Nagui and Saad Al-Khadim, as well as folk pottery and a library, preserving their crucial roles in Egyptian popular art and scholarship.
‡ £1,500-2,500
Property of the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
49
LABIB TADROS (EGYPTIAN 1894-1943)
FELLAH’S HOUSE
signed L Tadros lower left oil on canvas
70 x 56cm; 27 1/2 x 22in
86 x 71cm; 33 3/4 x 28in (framed)
Executed c.1940s.
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by Youssef Zulficar
The first-generation Egyptian painter Labib Tadros was born into a wealthy Coptic family from Sohag and is known in particular for his depictions of rural landscapes and portraits of peasants. Tadros was trained at the Italian Institute in Cairo, while simultaneously working as a civil servant at the Ministry of Interior following his graduation from high school.
Tadros exhibited works at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et des Techniques in Paris, and at the 1938 Venice Biennale; the first time Egypt had been represented at the international exhibition.
‡ £1,500-2,500
SEIF WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1906-1979)
BAIGNOIRE AND THE PRINCESS
signed indistinctly lower right; inscribed in Arabic on the reverse oil on board
33.5 x 28cm; 13 1/4 x 11in
37 x 32cm; 14 1/2 x 12 1/2in (framed)
Born in Alexandria, Seif Wanly was raised in a French-speaking Turkish aristocratic family and was privately tutored in his family house. Seif Wanly and his brother, Adham, started developing an interest in painting and art. They attended Italian painter Ottorino Becchi’s new studio in Alexandria, Egypt. Becchi introduced them to avant-garde movements like Futurism and Cubism; these two techniques formed the basis from which Wanly developed his personal style defined by angular lines, bright shades and colourful geometric shapes.
Becchi left Egypt and the Wanly brothers set up their own studio in Alexandria in the 1940s, in collaboration with filmmaker Mohammed Bayoumid. Their studio is frequently credited with bringing attention to the art of the region.
The brothers travelled extensively after the Second World War, particularly during the 1950s to France, Italy and Spain, where they sketched and painted scenes of ballet, opera, theatre performances (such as the present lot) and landscapes. In 1957, Seif travelled to Nubia on the same project as Tahia Halim (see lots 39, 40 and 41) and Hussein Bicar, to create a collection of paintings and drawings depicting life in Upper Egypt.
The Wanly brothers were pioneers in introducing modern pictorial trends to Alexandria, depicting international subjects, and moving away from the folklorist style of their contemporaries. The siblings were close both in life and work and after Adham’s death in 1959, Seif’s work took on a more melancholic tone and a darker colour palette.
Throughout his life, Seif Wanly received numerous awards, including the State Promotional Prize in Art in 1973. His paintings are held in major collections, including the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha and the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art in Cairo, whilst an entire floor of the Mahmoud Said Museum in Alexandria is dedicated to the Wanly brothers, preserving their contribution to Egyptian art.
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
51
SAMIR RAFI
(EGYPTIAN 1926-2004)
UNTITLED
initialed and dated 3-6-78.
III S.R lower centre
watercolour and ink on paper
43 x 30cm; 17 x 11 3/4in
67 x 55cm; 26 1/4 x 21 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Mohamed Said (acquired from the son of the artist)
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Born in Cairo to a multiconfessional family, Samir Rafi received early artistic training under Hussein Youssef Amin before attending the School of Fine Arts, where he developed a distinct style apart from Western academic art. His originality gained support from educators and led to a graduation project inspired by surrealism. After earning honours in 1948 and completing further studies at Ain Shams University, Rafi taught in several schools and became a professor at Cairo University. In 1954, he moved to Paris on a scholarship, studying modern art and museology, and pursuing his PhD at La Sorbonne. There, he engaged with major artists but ultimately travelled to Algeria in 1964, where he was briefly imprisoned, later teaching art history in Algiers before settling back in France.
Rafi’s career emerged during Egypt’s turbulent 1930s and ‘40s, interacting with movements like Art and Liberty, which opposed Fascism and embraced Surrealism. While influenced by these groups, Rafi co-founded the Contemporary Art Group, focusing on local Egyptian themes rather than Western or colonial art. His works often highlighted everyday people and integrated mystical elements rooted in Egyptian folk culture. Rafi also referenced ancient Egyptian art and traditions, fusing them with modern techniques. His artistic legacy lies in blending symbolic imagery from Egypt’s past with contemporary issues, making him a key figure in modern Egyptian art. Samir Rafi died in Paris in 2004.
‡ £2,000-3,000
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria
52
IBRAHIM MASSOUDA (EGYPTIAN
1925-1965)
UNTITLED signed Masouda lower right oil on board
50 x 35cm; 19 3/4 x 13 3/4in
60 x 43cm; 23 1/2 x 17in (framed) Provenance
Youssef Pasha Zulficar
Thence by descent to the present owner
Ibrahim Massouda, born in either 1925 or 1938 to Jewish parents, was a distinguished Egyptian artist with a distinctive expressive style.
Massouda received his education at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo, where he cultivated a unique impressionistic approach, reflecting political sacrifice and struggle. With little written about him, we know that he subsequently joined the Art and Liberty Group as one of its later members and subsequently played an active role in Egypt’s Contemporary Art Group, established around 1945.
The success of the Contemporary Art Group is attributed to its founder, Hussein Youssef Amin. Amin provided training in technical skill and cultural knowledge to his students, including Massouda, before, during, and after their university studies. Having studied in Brazil, Amin introduced Massouda to a wider cultural perspective, including Latin American art, even though Massouda had not studied abroad. Amin encouraged Massouda to develop a personal artistic style, with an emphasis on individual expression. He taught Massouda to look beyond copying physical reality and focus on representing the underlying qualities of subjects. Amin described Massouda’s artistic vision as demonstrating a distinct approach centered on spiritual themes, such as evidenced in the present lot. His works are rare, and a very limited number come to market.
Massouda works have been exhibited by prominent galleries and institutions, including When Art Becomes Liberty: The Egyptian Surrealists, Palace of Arts, Cairo, 2016, Surrealism in Egypt: Art et Liberté 1938 - 1948 at TATE Liverpool, 2018, In the Heart of Another Country at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg and the Sharjah Art Foundation, 2022-23.
‡ £3,000-5,000
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 53
SHAWKY ZAGHLOUL (EGYPTIAN 1947-1988)
UNTITLED
signed and dated in Arabic Shawky ‘68 lower right; signed in Arabic Shawky lower left pastel on paper
36 x 50cm; 14 1/4 x 19 3/4in
46 x 61cm; 18 1/2 x 24in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist
Private collection, Alexandria
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Born in Gharbia, Egypt, Shawky Zaghloul studied Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts. He spent ten years in Kuwait, where he created around two hundred paintings. His work captures the human experience, not in a literal way, but with a light, pastoral style inspired by fairy tales. He draws us in with simple, captivating scenes - men and women in different poses, with expressive faces, evidencing a deep connection between people and nature. Zaghloul’s is an art that speaks to the soul.
He participated in numerous exhibitions in both Egypt and Kuwait. His life was cut short when he died in a car accident in Kuwait in 1988. The Egyptian Ministry of Culture and the Modern Art Museum in Cairo hold his works in their collection.
‡ £1,000-1,500
Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria 54
SHAWKY ZAGHLOUL (EGYPTIAN 1947-1988)
UNTITLED
signed and dated in Arabic Shawky ‘76 lower left; inscribed in Arabic lower right pastel on paper
56.5 x 76cm; 22 1/4 x 30in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist
Private collection, Alexandria
Acquired from the above by the present owner
see note to lot 53
‡ £2,000-3,000
SAUDI ARABIA
Property of a Lady, Madrid, Spain
55
ABDULHALIM RADWI
(SAUDI ARABIAN 1939-2006)
UNTITLED (FISH)
signed and dated in English Redwi / ‘96 lower left; signed and dated in Arabic lower right oil and sand on canvas board
45.5 x 33cm; 17 7/8 x 13in
55.2 x 42.2cm; 21 5/8 x 16 5/8in (framed)
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the family of the artist.
Provenance
Faustino Moreno Villalba Collection, Spain
Acquired from the above as a gift by the present owner
Abdulhalim Radwi, born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, was a prominent sculptor, curator, and poet whose artistic practice was shaped by both his cultural heritage and modernist influences. Radwi significantly contributed to the advancement of Saudi modernism, drawing upon his experience as one of the Kingdom’s pioneering artists to pursue studies abroad. He earned his Fine Arts degree in Rome between 1961 and 1968, a period during which his work evolved from realism towards abstraction. Upon returning to Saudi Arabia, he began teaching, which reinforced his reputation within the local arts community and inspired emerging artists such as Taha Al Sabban and, later, Ahmed Mater. Although deeply engaged with Western art movements, Radwi remained committed to his roots, integrating elements of Arab heritage into Cubist and Expressionist frameworks, which distinguished his work from that of his peers.
In the 1970s, Radwi served as Action Director of the Association for Arab Artists in Madrid and completed his studies at the Royal Arts Academy in 1979. That same year, he was awarded a professorship and taught in Madrid until 1984. Throughout his prolific career, Radwi produced thousands of artworks and held leadership roles in numerous art organisations, including serving as director of Jeddah’s Centre for Fine Arts.
His works have been exhibited throughout the Middle East and Europe, notably receiving third prize at the Ibiza Biennale in 1968. Radwi’s body of work exemplifies a sophisticated synthesis of tradition and innovation, and his integration of regional themes with contemporary techniques paved the way for the development of modern Saudi art.
‡ £13,000-18,000
Abdulhalim Radwi
Property of a Lady, Madrid, Spain
56
ABDULHALIM RADWI (SAUDI ARABIAN 1939-2006)
UNTITLED (STREET SCENE)
signed and dated in English Redwi / ‘96 lower left; signed and dated in Arabic lower right watercolour on heavy paper
45.7 x 32.3cm; 18 x 11 3/4in
52.5 x 38.5cm; 20 1/2 x 15 1/4in (framed)
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the family of the artist.
Provenance
Faustino Moreno Villalba Collection, Spain
Acquired from the above as a gift by the present owner see note to lot 55
‡ £5,000-8,000
Property of a Lady, Madrid, Spain
57
ABDULHALIM RADWI (SAUDI ARABIAN 1939-2006)
UNTITLED (DANCERS)
signed and dated in English Redwi / ‘96 lower left; signed and dated in Arabic lower right; Guarro watermark on the reverse watercolour and ink on Guarro wove paper
45.7 x 32.3cm; 18 x 12 3/4in
53.5 x 40.5cm; 21 x 16in (framed)
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the family of the artist.
Provenance
Faustino Moreno Villalba Collection, Spain
Acquired from the above as a gift by the present owner see note to lot 55
‡ £5,000-8,000
Property of a Lady, Madrid, Spain
58
ABDULHALIM RADWI (SAUDI ARABIAN 1939-2006)
ARTIST’S SKETCHBOOK
sketchbook with five watercolour and pen works on Guarro paper
32.8 x 46.5cm; 13 x 18 1/4in
Executed c.1990s.
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the family of the artist. Provenance
Faustino Moreno Villalba Collection, Spain
Acquired from the above as a gift by the present owner
see note to lot 55
‡ £9,000-12,000
Property of a Private Collector, London
MOHAMMAD MUHRADDIN (IRAQI 1938-2015)
UNTITLED inscribed on the reverse mixed media on canvas
70 x 70cm; 27 1/2 x 27 1/2in
77 x 77cm; 30 1/3 x 30 1/3in (framed)
Muhammad Muhraddin, a major figure in Iraqi art of the 1960s and 1970s, sought new creative directions beyond previous artistic conventions. Born in Basra, he pursued painting early on, studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad, and earned a Master’s degree in Warsaw, Poland. Influenced by Polish abstract and street art, he returned to Iraq in the mid-1960s to teach and produce work shaped by the political unrest in the country and the rise of Arab Nationalism.
Muhraddin co-founded the New Vision group in 1969, merging art with activism through graphics and posters. His exhibitions from the 1970s onward often addressed protest themes such as Palestine, black liberation, poverty, and war, employing abstract indecipherable symbols and harsh graphics, as evidenced in the present work. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he maintained a focus on sociopolitical topics amid Iraq’s turmoil, producing notable works and participating in significant exhibitions such as Strange is this World and Globalisation Trap
After relocating to Jordan in 2006 due to instability in Iraq, Muhraddin continued creating politically charged art until his death in 2015. His final exhibition, Dirty War, underscored his enduring legacy of engaging with themes of war and colonialism.
£4,000-6,000
Muhammad Muhraddin
Property of a Private Collector, Kirkuk, Iraq
WIDAD AL-ORFALI (IRAQI B.1929)
UNTITLED
signed and dated in English and Arabic W Orfali 1992 lower right watercolour and pen on canvas
79.5 x 65cm; 31 1/4 x 25 1/2in 82 x 68cm; 32.5 x 26 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist in 1996 Thence by descent to the present owner
Born in 1929, Widad al-Orfali studied at the Beirut College for Women for three years, before attending the Institute of Art in Baghdad studying under artists Faiq Hassan, Faraj Abbo, Ismail al-Shaikhly and other prominent figures. She graduated from the institute in 1960 and subsequently held her first solo exhibition in West Germany in 1964. In 1983, Al-Orfali and her cousin established the first private art gallery in Iraq named the Orfali Gallery that later expanded into a cultural centre, increasing their offerings beyond art exhibitions. The new space hosted musical performances, language classes and poetry readings, and became synonymous as a hub of creativity drawing audiences from far and wide.
Inspired by a trip to Andalusia with her husband in 1973, Al-Orfali transitioned from a more naturalistic style to one which focused on fantasy cityscapes, which she calls ‘dream cities’. These intricate works amalgamate architectural forms and traditional floral motifs, harking back to Islamic miniature modalities.
Her work is held in major collections, including the Barjeel Art Foundation, Hindiyeh Museum, and the Ibrahimi Collection.
‡ £6,000-8,000
“I run away from reality and live in these cities... This is my Baghdad.”
1938-2021) DOMES signed Durra lower left collage on card
34 x 46cm; 13 1/2 x 18in
65 x 66cm; 25 1/2 x 26in (framed) Provenance
By descent from the artist’s studio
Mohanna Durra’s collage works are crafted from carefully cut paper fragments of prints of his original paintings. The current lot depicting domes is quite unique as the artist was not accustomed to painting these structures in this manner - when he painted buildings they would be more conventional cuboid shapes, rather than curvilinear domes.
Mohanna Durra was a Jordanian painter whose profound influence shaped not only the visual language of Jordanian modern art, but also the institutional foundation of art education in the region. Over a career spanning several decades, Durra introduced abstraction, expressionism and cubism to Jordan, and was celebrated for his bold manipulation of form and colour - compositions recognised for their expressive brushwork, cubist geometries, and intimate interplay of light.
Durra established the Fine Arts Section at the Department of Culture and Art in Amman, as well as Jordan’s first art studio for the professional training of local artists. His international stature grew through major exhibitions across Europe, the United States, Russia, and the Middle East, with notable shows at prestigious venues such as the Palazzo Venezia and the Venice Biennale in Italy, the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, Malta, and the Central Hall of the Austrian Parliament in Vienna. His works were also displayed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and exhibited at the Pera Museum in Istanbul.
Among reputable private collectors, David Rockefeller personally added a painting by Durra to his collection following a visit to Amman in the 1970s. In addition, King Hussein of Jordan was a longtime patron, frequently presenting Durra’s works as official diplomatic gifts during state visit.
His legacy endures as an artistic pioneer, educator, and ambassador for the advancement of Arab art.
NASR ABDEL AZIZ ELEYAN (PALESTINIAN B.1941) CONTEMPLATION
signed and dated in Arabic lower right acrylic on canvas 109 x 70cm; 42 3/4 x 27 1/2in unframed
Born in Hebron, Palestine, Nasr Abel Aziz Eleyan first grew up in Jericho and Ain Al Sultan refugee camps following the occupation of Zakaria by Israel in 1948. Learning early from his father, a carpenter, Eleyan found solace in the paintbrush from a young age, and after participating in a small exhibition for the UNRWA (United Nation Relief and Working Agency for Palestinian Refugees) continued to study art and architecture on a scholarship between Moscow and Cairo.
With a primary focus on figuration, Eleyan’s individual style is concerned with cultural traditions that have been at the heart of his practice and formative learning since childhood. His paintings depict the traditional Palestinian way of life, often drawings his subjects from rural life. He purifies his forms with delineations of geometrical lines, creating both harmony and balance throughout his compositions.
Eleyan’s paintings have debuted in several international exhibitions. He has also worked in Jordan Television, as an interior designer, and headed Dubai’s TV’s design department for the last twenty years.
£5,000-8,000
“My
oldest memory of childhood was drawing with a pencil. Drawing and manual arts were my childhood toys.”
Nasr Abdel Aziz Eleyan
SYRIA
Property of a Private Collector, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
63
NASSER CHAURA (SYRIAN 1920-1992)
LANDSCAPE
signed and dated N. CHAURA. / 1949 lower right oil on canvas
101.3 x 152cm; 40 x 60in unframed
Provenance
Acquired in Beirut, Lebanon by the US Naval Attaché in 1958
Thence by descent to the present owner
“Chaura knew from the beginning of his artistic practice in the thirties that the goal of art was to express the beauty of nature”
Dr Afif Behnassi
Nasser Chaura, born in Damascus, is recognised as the father of Syrian Impressionism. His childhood views inspired much of his art, which evolved through impressionist, abstract, and new realist phases over his fifty-year career. After attending high school in Damascus, where he developed a passion for the arts, he co-founded the National Conservatoire at age sixteen.
Guided by Michel Karsha, Chaura chose to pursue painting over traditional careers encouraged by his family.
Chaura furthered his studies in Rome and Cairo, and was instrumental in establishing artist collectives such as the Andalusia Forum and Studio Veronese, vital hubs for modern Syrian art. His own studio in Damascus became a centre for creative exchange with local and foreign artists. He helped found the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University, teaching there for over thirty years and influencing future generations of Syrian artists.
Notable works like Landscape showcased his distinct impressionist style, while in the mid-1960s he transitioned to abstraction, co-founding the Damascus Group. By the 1970s, he returned to landscapes, blending impressionism and abstraction. Chaura continued experimenting with technique until his death in 1992, creating evocative scenes shaped by lifelong inspiration from Damascus.
His works are held in important collections, including the Dalloul Art Foundation, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Contemporary Art Platform, Kuwait, Atassi Foundation, Dubai, The Dubai Collection (includes a work courtesy of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum), the National Museum of Damascus, the Ministry of Culture Damascus, The Ibrahimi Collection, Amman, and the Jalanbo Collection.
Additionally, his works are found in several private collections, such as the Shatha Ibrahim Al Tassan Collection (Saudi Arabia) and the Dr. Abdulaziz Alloun Collection.
‡ £8,000-12,000
SABHAN ADAM (SYRIAN B.1972)
UNTITLED
signed and dated SABHAN ADAM 2008 on the reverse mixed media on canvas
218.5 x 74.2cm; 86 x 29 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Z Gallery Dubai, 2010
Acquired from the above by the present owner
“The figures I paint have so many things in common with me... I draw myself with everything that exists inside: the sadness, the misery, the shocking things I have faced, the isolation, and the feeling of not belonging to this world.”
Syrian-born Sabhan Adam is a self-taught artist who creates works in relative isolation from the art world. A prolific painter, Adam has exhibited at institutions such as the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris and the Venice Biennale. His work has been acquired by the British Museum, Jalanbo Collection, Barjeel Art Foundation, the Hassan Smith Collection and many other private collections.
His Orwellian figures challenge notions of beauty and the heinous, exploring motifs of imaginary misshapen creatures often clothed in glamourous, highly coloured attire against plain backgrounds. Demonstrating the pain, fear and phobia which afflicts society, these distorted and monstrous figures equally hold a complex set of personal emotions based on Adam’s own psychology.
£1,500-2,500
SABHAN ADAM (SYRIAN B.1972)
UNTITLED
signed and dated SABHAN ADAM 2008 on the reverse mixed media on canvas
218 x 74.5cm; 86 x 29 1/4in unframed
Provenance
Z Gallery Dubai, 2010
Acquired from the above by the present owner see note to lot 64
£1,500-2,500
LEBANON
JEAN-MARC NAHAS (LEBANESE B.1963)
CARNAGE
acrylic and mixed media on canvas
120 x 120cm; 47 1/4 x 47 1/4in unframed
Includes Certificate of Authenticity
Provenance
Acquired from the studio of the artist
Jean-Marc Nahas is a Lebanese-Canadian artist known for his expressive, emotionally charged visual language and deep engagement with themes of war, memory, and the human condition. Born in 1963 in Beirut, he came of age during the Lebanese Civil War – an experience that continues to shape his artistic voice. At the age of 17, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) and Penninghen. His training was further enriched under the mentorship of artists such as Pierre Alechinsky, Vladimir Veličković, Ferit Iscan, and Albert Zavaro.
Nahas’s work combines rapid, rhythmic brushwork with simplified, calligraphic lines to create dynamic compositions populated by expressive figures and animal-like motifs. His paintings often read as visual narratives – personal letters or poems in image form – which he refers to as “a private diary.” The emotional intensity of his work is heightened by his focus on themes such as war, peace, and social inequality, particularly the experiences of children.
His exploration of the female nude reflects a careful study of movement and form, rendered with both elegance and psychological tension. Throughout his career, Nahas has emphasized clarity of expression over ornament, stating, “The simplification of my drawing is essential to be able to understand it – likewise for my paintings.”
Nahas’s work has been widely exhibited and is included in major collections around the world, including the British Museum, the Sursock Museum, Bank Audi Foundation, CAP Foundation Kuwait, and the Macklowe Collection in New York. His most recent major retrospective was held at the Beirut Exhibition Center in 2013. He divides his time between North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
£2,500-3,500
Jean-Marc Nahas
(BORIS ANJE TABUFOR), ANJEL 27
ABDEL AZIZ ELEYAN, NASR 62
ABOUON, ARWA 33
ADAM, SABHAN 64, 65
AL-ORFALI, WIDAD 60
AVEDISSIAN, CHANT 35, 36, 37, 38
BANDOMA, STEVE 23, 24, 25, 26
BOGHIGUIAN, ANNA 45, 46
CAITLIN, GAIL 14
CHAURA, NASSER 63
CISSE, SOLY 31
D’ALMEIDA, CHARLY 15, 16
DRIFT, RORKES 10
DURRA, MOHANNA 61
EFFLATOUN, INJI 43, 44
ENIGHE, AMBA 1, 2
ENWONWU MBE, BEN 6
HALIM, TAHIA 39, 40, 41
IVERSON, BARRY 34
KAVI, EMMANUEL 22
MAGASSA, FAMAKAN 29, 30
MAHLANGU, ESTHER 11
MASSOUDA, IBRAHIM 52
MISHIO, JAMES 21
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR BUYERS
SECTION A
1. INTRODUCTION
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(b) (‡) indicates that the Lot has been imported from outside the UK using customs Temporary Admissions procedures. Import VAT of 5% (reduced rate due to nature of the Lot) is due on the Hammer Price and an amount in lieu of VAT at 20% will be included in the Buyer’s Premium. This VAT on the Buyer’s Premium cannot be itemised separately on our invoices. The successful Bidder and therefore Buyer of the Lot will become its importer.
(c) (Ω) indicates that the Lot has been imported from outside the UK using customs Temporary Admissions procedures. Import VAT of 20% (higher rate) is due on the Hammer Price and an amount in lieu of VAT at 20% will be included in the Buyer’s Premium. This VAT on the Buyer’s Premium cannot be itemised separately on our invoices. The successful Bidder and therefore Buyer of the Lot will become its importer.
(d) Lots which do not display one of the above symbols (referred to herein as unmarked Lots) have no VAT payable on the Hammer Price. This is because such Lots are sold using the Auctioneers’ Margin Scheme. Therefore, an amount in lieu of VAT at the standard rate is included within the Premium and will not be shown separately on our invoice or be recoverable as input Tax.
5.2 For the items marked (‡) or (Ω), Buyers registered for VAT in the UK should notify us as soon as possible after the sale so that we can correctly instruct our shipping agents to complete the import into the UK under the Buyer’s VAT registration and HMRC can issue a form C79. The charge on our invoice for the import VAT is not sufficient evidence to make a claim for the import VAT.
6. REFUNDS OF VAT
6.1 For Buyers from outside the UK, the VAT charged on the Hammer Price and Buyer’s Premium or included in lieu of VAT in the Buyer’s Premium can be refunded so long as the Buyer has:
(a) registered to bid with an address outside the UK; and
(b) discussed with us the proof of export we require and the timeframes to complete the export.
6.2 Once we are satisfied that the requirements referred to in Clause 1.6.1 have been met, and with the proof of export provided, the following VAT will be refunded:
(a) For Lots marked (†): The VAT on the Hammer Price and on the Buyer’s Premium.
(b) For Lots marked (‡) and (Ω): the import VAT and, the VAT in lieu in the Buyer’s Premium.
(c) For unmarked Lots: the amount in lieu of VAT in the Buyer’s Premium.
6.3 To enable us to refund the VAT charged correctly we normally require the use of our international shippers to assist with the required paperwork. For private Buyers, we will only be able to refund the VAT if our shippers are used for the export of the Lot outside the UK.
7. REINVOICING SALES
For unmarked Lots, you can request a Lot to be reinvoiced outside the Auctioneers’ Margin Scheme. VAT at 20% will be charged on the Hammer Price and the VAT on the Buyer’s Premium will be itemised separately on our invoice. This will enable a VAT registered business to reclaim all the VAT. Please note that the item will no longer be eligible to be sold in the Margin Scheme. We recommend you seek advice before proceeding. Requests must be made within 6 months of the sale and certain conditions apply.
8. INSPECTION OF GOODS BY THE BUYER
As we act on behalf of the Seller, we are dependent on information provided by the Seller about their goods. We may inspect Lots and will act reasonably in taking a general view about them. However, we are normally unable to carry out detailed examinations of Lots to check their condition in the way a Buyer would do. You will have the opportunity to inspect the goods (upon request). Where a Lot is made available for inspection, we strongly recommend that you inspect any Lots that you are interested in prior to bidding at the auction. Please carefully note the exclusion of liability for the condition of Lots set out in the Terms of Sale for Online Auctions at Clause 22.5 and the Terms of Sale for Live Auctions at Clause 18.5.
9. GOODS WITH ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
These are sold as “antiques” for their historical and decorative attributes, and for collection and display only. They are not intended for use. If you buy goods with electrical components and intend to use them, you must ask a qualified electrician to check them for compliance with safety regulations before you use them.
10. ENDANGERED SPECIES
If you intend to buy goods which contain endangered species, you need to find out if there is a prohibition on the purchase of goods of that character. For goods containing elephant ivory, you also need to satisfy yourself that they have been correctly registered or certified and meet the exemption conditions under applicable legislation.
11. EXPORT OF GOODS
If you intend to export goods you must find out:
11.1 whether an export licence is needed; and
11.2 if there is a prohibition on exporting goods of that character outside of the UK or on importing goods of that character in your intended country of import such as because the goods contain prohibited materials such as elephant ivory or other protected flora and fauna.
12. BIDDING
Bidders will be required to register with us before the auction starts. We Reserve the right to impose a deadline prior to the auction by which you must register or by which we must receive a commission bid. If you wish to bid on high value Lots this deadline may be several days before the auction in order to allow us sufficient time to carry out the necessary checks. Lots will be invoiced to the name and address on the registration form. Please enquire in advance about our arrangements for telephone or online bidding. You will need to provide us with proof of your identity in a form acceptable to us and such other information as we may require. Please note that we may refuse to register you if you do not provide us with all the information and documentation that we ask for or at our discretion.
13. BIDDING PLATFORMS
We offer free online bidding directly through our Website (www.olympiaauctions. com). You may also bid using an independent Bidding Platform. Bidders using an independent Bidding Platform or service should note that the platform may impose an additional fee or charge, which will be added to the total amount payable in the event your bid is successful. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the relevant independent platform for rates.
14. FINANCIAL CHECKS
As Auctioneers we may have to conduct various checks into our customers under the Money Laundering Legislation, under sanctions legislation and other related legislation. Unless we confirm we already have this information, on registration to bid you will be required to provide the following:
(a) For individuals, official photo identification (driving licence, passport or equivalent) and proof of address (if this is not included in your ID document).
(b) For corporate entities, the certificate of incorporation (or equivalent) with the entity’s official name, registered number (if any) and registered address, as well as details and ID documentation for directors and beneficial owners of the entity.
(c) For trusts and estates, details and ID documentation for executors/trustees and details of beneficiaries: please contact us for further information.
14.1 You may be asked for further information if we deem this necessary.
14.2 If you are bidding for another person (your Principal) you will be required to provide the above information for yourself and your Principal, along with a signed letter from your Principal authorising you to bid on his/her behalf.
14.3 If you require further information about ID requirements, please contact enquiries@olympiaauctions.com. If we deem that you have not provided sufficient information for us to complete our anti-money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions checks to our satisfaction, we may refuse to register you to bid and we may postpone completion of or cancel any Contract made by you and the Seller in the event you have made a successful bid.
15. COMMISSION BIDDING
You may leave commission bids with us indicating the maximum amount to be bid against a Lot (excluding the Buyer’s Premium and/or any applicable VAT). We will execute commission bids as cheaply as possible having regard to the Reserve (if any) and competing bids. If two Buyers submit identical commission bids, we may prefer the first bid received (where this can be reasonably ascertained). Please enquire in advance about our arrangements for the leaving of commission bids by telephone or fax/email or via our Website or online Bidding Platform.
16. METHODS OF PAYMENT
16.1 Online: Payment can be made at www.olympiaauctions.com/payments.
16.2 Cheque: Usually any cheques will need to be cleared before you can take the goods away. We require seven days to clear sterling cheques unless special arrangements have been made in advance of the sale.
16.3 Bank Transfer: Payments must be received from a bank account held in the name of the person or entity named on the invoice for the Lot.
16.4 Cash: £6,000 and “card holder not present” payments above £2,000 cannot be accepted.
16.5 Credit Card payments in person: Payments above £6,000 cannot be accepted.
16.6 Debit card payments in person: Payments are without limit.
17. COLLECTION AND STORAGE
Please note what the applicable Terms of Sale say about collection and storage (see Clause 13 of the Terms of Sale for Live Auctions and Clause 15 of the Terms of Sale for Online Auctions). It is important that you pay for and collect goods promptly. Any delay may involve you having to pay storage charges. You (or your agent) must bring photographic ID for collection. Please note that collection may be made during working hours only, usually Monday to Friday 09:30 to 17:00.
18. POTENTIAL CANCELLATION RIGHTS
If you purchase a Lot in an Online Auction as a Consumer in the UK or EU from a Seller who is a Trader, you may have a right to cancel your purchase of that Lot from the day of the auction up to the day which is 14 days after the date on which you take possession of the Lot. You may also have the right to cancel Services provided by us. Further information is set out in the Terms of Sale for Online Auctions.
CATALOGUING PRACTICE
SECTION B
1.
Please note that all measurements are approximate and that illustrations are not to scale. The condition of a Lot is not usually included in catalogue descriptions, and no assumptions should be made in the absence of this information. Condition reports are available on request.
2. CERAMICS
Obvious faults may be recorded in italics at the end of a description for ceramics.
3.CLOCKS AND WATCHES
All Lots are sold “as is” and the absence of any reference to the condition of a clock or watch does not imply that the Lot is in good condition and without defects, repairs or restorations. Most clocks and watches have been repaired in the course of their normal lifetime and may now incorporate parts not original to them. Furthermore, we make no representation or warranty that any clock or watch is in working order. As clocks and watches often contain fine and complex mechanisms, the Bidder should be aware that a general service, change of battery or further repair work, for which the Buyer is solely responsible, may be necessary. The Bidder should be aware that the importation of watches such as Rolex, Frank Muller and Corum into the United States is highly restricted. These watches may not be shipped to the USA and can only be imported personally.
4. DISPLAY ACCESSORIES
Please note that armour stands and many of the display mounts used in the catalogue(s) and the sale exhibition(s) do not form part of the Lot unless stated in the catalogue, though they may be made available to the successful Buyer of the relevant Lot(s). Please contact us for prices and further details.
5. FIREARMS
Please note that all bore sizes are approximate.
6. JEWELLERY
It is common practice for many gemstones to be treated by a variety of methods to enhance their appearance and the international jewellery trade has generally accepted these methods. Although heat enhancement of colour is usually permanent, in some cases this could affect the durability of a gemstone. Oiled gemstones may need reoiling after a certain period. If no gemmological report is published in the catalogue, prospective Buyers should be aware that the gemstones or pearls could have been enhanced by some method.
7. PHOTOGRAPHS
In addition to the explanations set out below regarding categorising terms for works, please note the following. The date given is that of the image (negative). Where no further date is given, this indicates that the photographic print is vintage (the term “vintage” may also be included in the Lot description). A vintage photograph is one which was made within approximately 5–10 years of the negative. Where a second, later date appears, this refers to the date of printing. Where the exact printing date is not known, but understood to be printed later, "printed later" will appear in the Lot description.
Unless otherwise specified, dimensions given are those of the piece of paper on which the image is printed, including any margins. Some photographs may appear in the catalogue without the margins illustrated.
All photographs are sold unframed unless stated otherwise in the Lot description.
8. PICTURES
A work catalogued with the name(s) or recognised designation of an artist, without any qualification, is, in our opinion, a work by the artist. In other cases, the following expressions with the following meanings are used:
(a) “Attributed to”: means in our opinion it is probably a work by the artist in whole or in part.
(b) “Studio of ” or "workshop of ”: means in our opinion a work executed in the studio or workshop of the artist, possibly under his supervision.
(c) “Circle of ”: means in our opinion a work of the period of the artist and showing his influence.
(d) “Follower of ”: means in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but not necessarily by a pupil.
(e) “Manner of ”: means in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but of a later date.
(f) “After”: means in our opinion a copy (of any date) of a work of the artist.
(g) “Signed”, “dated”, “inscribed”: means in our opinion the work has been signed, dated or inscribed by the artist. The addition of a question mark (?) adds an element of doubt.
(h) “Bears signature”, “bears date”, “bears inscription”: means in our opinion the signature, date, inscription or stamp is by a hand other than that of the artist.
9. SILVER, GOLD AND PRECIOUS METALS
Weights may only be accurate to within 5 grams. Weights shown as “(* oz)” are in troy ounces and usually rounded down to the full ounce.
10.
THE FOLLOWING SYMBOLS MAY BE USED IN OUR AUCTION CATALOGUES:
(a) () indicates a Lot with no Reserve.
(b) (✧) indicates a “Premium Lot”. For Premium Lots, you must complete the required Premium Lot preregistration application and deliver to us such necessary financial references, guarantees, deposits and/or such other security as we may in our absolute discretion require, as security for your bid. Our decision as to whether to accept any pre-registration application shall be final.
(c) (◉) indicates items that have been identified at the time of cataloguing as containing organic material which may be subject to restrictions regarding import or export, such as a CITES certificate. The absence of the symbol is not a warranty that there are no restrictions regarding import or export of the item. We accept no liability for any Lots which may be subject to restrictions but have not been identified as such. Please refer to section A, paragraph 10 above.
(d) (⊕) indicates a Lot that may be subject to Artist’s Resale Right.
(e) (○) indicates “Guaranteed Property”. The seller of lots with this symbol has been guaranteed a minimum price from one auction or a series of auctions. This guarantee may be provided by Olympia Auctions or jointly by Olympia Auctions and a third party. Olympia Auctions and any third parties providing a guarantee jointly with Olympia Auctions benefit financially if a guaranteed lot is sold successfully and may incur a loss if the sale is not successful. A third party providing a guarantee jointly with Olympia Auctions may provide an irrevocable bid, or otherwise bid, on the guaranteed property. If the Guaranteed Property symbol for a lot is not included in the printed or pdf auction catalogue (where applicable), then Olympia Auctions will notify bidders that there is a guarantee on the lot by one or more of the following means: the lot’s specific webpage will be updated to include the guaranteed property symbol, a notice will be added to the Olympia Auctions webpage for the auction, or a pre-sale or pre-lot announcement will be made indicating that there is a guarantee on the lot. If every lot in a sale is guaranteed, a Special Notice will be included to this effect and this symbol will not be used for each lot.
(f) (∏) indicates “Monumental”. Lots with this symbol may, in our opinion, require special handling or shipping services due to size or other physical considerations. Buyers are advised to inspect the lot and to contact Olympia Auctions prior to the sale to discuss any specific shipping requirements.
(g) (W) indicates property stored and to be collected from off-site storage. Please note that property can only be released once payment has been received in full and cleared funds. If you are sending your own authorised agent to collect property from Olympia Auctions on your behalf, please provide a letter of authorisation, a copy of your paid invoice and photographic ID.
(h) (#) Book sales. Although these items are not free from VAT, Olympia Auctions is able to use the margin scheme and VAT will not normally be charged on the hammer price. Olympia Auctions must bear VAT on the buyer’s premium and hence will charge an amount in lieu of VAT at the standard rate on this premium. This amount will form part of the buyer’s premium on our invoice and will not be separately identified.
AUTUMN & WINTER 2025
Modern & Contemporary African & Middle Eastern Art
Live sale: 29th October | Viewing 26th-28th October
Chinese and Japanese Works of Art
Live sale: 5th November | Viewing 2nd-4th November
Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South East Asian Art
Live sale: 12th November | Viewing 9th-11th November
European Works of Art, Objects & Silver
Live sale: 19th November | Viewing 16th-18th November
Jewellery & Watches
Live sale: 20th November | Viewing 16th-18th November
Fine Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria
Live sale: 3rd December | Viewing 30th November-2nd December
Fine Paintings, Works on Paper and Sculpture
Live sale: 10th December | Viewing 7th-9th December
Please note sale dates are subject to change
enquiries@olympiaauctions.com | https://www.olympiaauctions.com 25 Blythe Road, London WI4 0PD
ABSENTEE BID FORM
OLYMPIA AUCTIONS
SALE TITLE: MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN ART
DATE: 29 OCTOBER 2025
CODE: ORACLE, SALE NUMBER: OA0167
Please mail, fax or scan and email to:
Olympia Auctions, 25 Blythe Road, London W14 0PD Fax +44 (0)20 7806 5546
Email: enquiries@olympiaauctions.com
Important
Please bid on my behalf at the above sale for the following Lot(s) up to the hammer price(s) mentioned below. These bids are to be executed as cheaply as is permitted by other bids or reserves and in an amount up to but not exceeding the specified amount. The auctioneer may open the bidding on any lot by placing a bid on behalf of the seller. The auctioneer may further bid on behalf of the seller up to the amount of the reserve by placing responsive or consecutive bids for a lot.
I agree to be bound by Olympia Auctions Conditions of Business. If any bid is successful, I agree to pay a buyer’s premium on the hammer price at the rate stated in the front of the catalogue and any VAT, or amounts in lieu of VAT, which may be due on the buyer’s premium and the hammer price.
Methods of Payment
Olympia Auctions welcomes the following methods of payment, most of which will facilitate immediate release of your purchases.
Online: www.OlympiaAuctions.com/payments
Bank Transfer: Payments must be received from a bank account held in the name of the person or entity named on the invoice for the Lot.
HSBC Bank Plc, 38 High Street, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1DG
IBAN No: GB39HBUK40190422033119
BIC: HBUKGB4B
Sort Code: 401904
Account No: 22033119
Account Name: Olympia Auctions
Sterling Bankers Draft: Drawn on a recognised UK bank.
Cheque: Usually any cheques will need to be cleared before you can take the goods away. We require seven days to clear sterling cheques unless special arrangements have been made in advance of the sale.
Cash: £6,000 and “card holder not present” payments above £2,000 cannot be accepted.
Credit Card payments in person: Payments above £6,000 cannot be accepted.
Debit card payments in person: Payments are without limit.
Please print or type
Please note that if you have not dealt with us before, you will need to supply us with a copy of photographic ID and proof of address. Name
An Iznik Dish, Ottoman Anatolia, 17th century Estimate: £1,000–£1,500
