Our July 4th sale is overflowing with some very exciting gold items. Gold has a way of accumulating quietly over generations — passed down, tucked away, eventually forgotten in the back of a drawer or the bottom of a jewellery box. Auction 15o draws together the results of that quiet accumulation: nearly a hundred lots…
Our next auction has a remarkable piece of history documenting the Australian- China relationship in its initial stages, the first thawing of the ‘Cold-War’ that followed WWII. Coming in as a complete unknown ‘Chinese Painting’, the work has many visual prompts to interpret, including red seals, the artist’s signature, and a beautiful calligraphic title: “Pure…
Pop Culture, 1905 Style — Fab Females of the Edwardian Stage Before Instagram, before cinema’s golden age, before television — there was the cabinet portrait photograph. Edwardian theatre stars were the celebrities of their age: photographed, sold as postcards and cabinet cards, collected and displayed in drawing rooms across the English-speaking world. These signed portraits…
Brian Kemp — Local Master-Potter Brian Kemp was an esteemed Australian potter renowned for his contributions to ceramics, particularly in the Bellarine Peninsula region near Geelong. In 1969 he completed a Diploma of Art and Design (Ceramics) at the Gordon Institute of Technology, then further honed his craft by studying under Haruki Okishio at Minato…
The Rococo in Europe: A Dance of Porcelain and Elegance The Rococo style, emerging in early 18th-century France and sweeping through Europe, was a celebration of elegance, whimsy, and asymmetrical beauty. Defined by its ornate curves, pastel palette, and playful subject matter, Rococo found a natural partner in porcelain — arguably the most refined medium…
A Quick Look at some of the feature items of Moorabool’s May sale, May 2nd, 2026.
The fascinating ‘Good News’ story of the rescue of the Duff Children, as depicted by S.T. Gill, 1864.
A fresh-to-early still-life by Hilda Rix Nicholas is genuinely exciting. The timing is perfect, with the Art Gallery of NSW’s current exhibition, ‘Dangerously Modern’ featuring multiple examples of her work. This gem of a painting will be sold on Saturday 6th December.
Two Sterling Silver mustard spoons made several decades apart tell an interesting story – they were both made for the Cannon family, the earlier by William Chawner II, the second several decades by his widow Mary. Sale is 6th December, on Invaluable.
Moorabool’s December Auction -a preview of items in sale.
Fans of the ‘Outlander’ series know the character Jamie Fraser. While he is fictional, there was a REAL character who had a remarkable story – Colonel Archibald Fraser of Lovat. This letter was written by him in 1792 – to be sold 11th October in our Geelong sale.
Kenneth Jack (1924-2006) was a well-loved artist of the mid-late 20th century, popular for his depiction of the unique history of Australia’s small towns. With the collection of the artist coming to Moorabool Auctions to disperse, this page is an opportunity to record the variety and his work.
A Gold-cased Rolex in Moorabool’s latest Auction comes direct from the family of the original 1915 owner- who just happened to be in the Gallipoli landings…..
A gold ring in Moorabool’s October 2025 sale proved to be a fascinating research project. A search through the literature fails to find William Need recorded — yet resorting to original sources, the firm of ‘WM. NEED’ is in evidence for over 30 years in Melbourne, through adverts, obituaries, and an unfortunate robbery widely reported…
The Rococo Age was a wonder of curves and movement, something which lent itself well to the medium of Porcelain. This group of 18th century European Ceramics, from Meissen, Berlin, Bow and Chelsea-Derby are Fresh to Moorabool Antiques.
This stunning Chinese Qing Dynasty Hongmu chair is carved with ‘auspicious’ items. Together, they tell a story.
An important painting by the respected Zhang Zhenshi -famous for the official portraits of Mao- bears witness to Australia’s relationship with China in the post- Cultural Revolution years. And it’s got PANDAS!
Siamese Buddhist Temple Mural-Style Painting, c.1850 Executed on linen, likely from central Thailand, this painting illustrates a scene from the Ramayana (Ramakien in Thai tradition) — the revered Thai epic adapted from the Indian Ramayana. The composition and iconography are consistent with Rattanakosin-period temple murals of the early-to-mid 19th century. Right side: A hunt by…
Moorabool’s June 2025 auction offered a rare piece of early Malaysian art, fresh to the market from a local estate. Soo Kau Koay (Malaysian, 1946–2021)Oxcart Dream, 1971Batik dye on cottonSigned and dated lower right: “S.K. Koay ’71”Frame 61 × 91 cm; work 87 × 56 cm Provenance: Private collection, Australia; acquired c.1970s by a visitor…
AN extrordinary Chinese celadon vase painted with underglaze blue and copper red horses and pine trees is a highlight of Moorabool’s April sale. Read about it’s fascinating story here…
