Saleroom: Price laid on the table

By DON MILNE

What's a New Zealand-made wine table worth? Well, according to the vendor who offered one at Cordy's sale last month, at least $10,000.

Even with the resurgence of interest in New Zealand-made furniture over the past 12 months - most of it selling for between $1000 and $3000 - the reserve set for this item seems out of the ordinary.

But this is no ordinary table. Made by James Peggie Penman, a Scotsman who came to New Zealand in 1900 at the age of 18, it has an elaborate top inlaid with native woods in a complex geometric design.

One of three such tables made by Penman, who is thought to have trained in marquetry in Edinburgh, the table is firmly in the Victorian tradition of Anton Seuffert, the Bohemian migrant who became New Zealand's greatest cabinet-maker.

Seuffert's work, on the rare occasions it comes to auction, commands spectacularly high prices. He still holds the record for furniture made in New Zealand - $53,000 for a bureau sold by Peter Webb Galleries in 1986. That piece was made for the Dunedin Exhibition of 1885.

Another piece made for the same exhibition (and which took first prize), an inlaid loo table by William James, another notable Victorian cabinet-maker, came up at Barry Forno's in Dunedin four years ago. It fetched $50,000 - a record for a New Zealand table.

Seuffert and James, and others working around the same time, delighted in our native timbers and used them to construct the most intricate marquetry panels, using local motifs such as kowhai and clematis, ponga and flax, tui and kiwi.

They may not be much to today's taste, but one has to admire the workmanship that went into creating such spectacular pieces of furniture.

The Herald's obituary of Seuffert, who died in 1887 (and was succeeded by his son William, also a fine cabinet-maker), tells of how he "executed a cabinet with inlaid work, consisting of 10,000 pieces, valued at 300 guineas. Which was purchased and presented by the citizens of Auckland to Her Majesty the Queen ... " That cabinet, made in 1861, still stands in Buckingham Palace.

In another royal connection, Seuffert made a matching chest of drawers and bed for the use of Queen Victoria's son Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, when he visited New Zealand in 1868. As a result, Seuffert received a royal appointment, as "cabinet-maker to HRH ... " - the only New Zealander to receive such an honour?

Penman clearly does not rank as highly as Seuffert or James, since bidding for his table reached only $8000. But the reserve remains, and the table will be coming up again at Cordy's later in the year.

Those looking for simpler examples of New Zealand craftsmanship can look out for the increasing number of colonial tables, dressers, wardrobes, hallstands and other furniture that are coming up on the market. Many are in kauri - some in the dark-stained wood that the Victorians liked so much, but others in the soft, honey colour so admired today - others in rimu.

They fit in well with modern decor as well as the converted villas of Auckland - good, solid colonial pieces unashamed of being made in New Zealand.

Coming up: Webb's art auction tomorrow night has a strong modern offering, including several McCahons and works by Bill Hammond, Pat Hanly and other contemporary icons. With more Clarice Cliff coming on Thursday afternoon.

Dunbar Sloane will have art and antique sales in Auckland and Wellington next month, with a good offering of historical works.

The International Art Centre's second sale of its 30th anniversary year will be on July 26, while Cordy's will hold a Pacific and tribal artefacts sale on July 16, followed by antiques and art the next day.