Property from the Collection of Hugh & Jackie Wallace
The wedding day of Hugh & Jackie Wallace
Jackie and Hugh Wallace were both born in the late 1930s. Jackie was born in Epsom, England and Hugh in Melbourne, Australia. Jackie’s father served with the English army in Iceland and following WWII, he continued to travel extensively through his work as a quantity surveyor, opening offices around the globe. Jackie accompanied him on numerous trips through Europe and Africa, as well as to Australia, where she met Hugh. Hugh by now was a stockbroker and partner at Carrington & Co, when he first met Jackie.
An Ettore Sottsass 'Sirio' vase for Memphis Milano, 1982, $3,600-5,000
Both Jackie and Hugh enjoyed collecting art from an early age and had a good eye for it. Being a stockbroker, Hugh was used to calculated risks and so would often buy an artwork when he felt the artist showed potential. Together they bought art by the likes of Jeffrey Smart and Albert Namatjira, long before they became well known artists, let alone collectable works of art. They worked well as a team, with interests and growing knowledge in differing areas. Jackie was particularly interested in English seascapes, Staffordshire and furniture, while Hugh favoured Murano glass, Torquay Ware ceramics and Aboriginal art.
Over the years Jackie and Hugh travelled extensively, in particular to England, Europe, Sri Lanka and around Australia. Their collection is eclectic, from Aboriginal art, Naïve art, early and modern Australian, English and Asian furniture and artefacts, Murano glass, Torquay Ware, Staffordshire and bronze works through to Egyptian and Shona stone. Some items date back to the 17th century.
The Wallace Collection presented by Gibson’s is a personal selection of their shared lifetime of collecting (lots 1-200).