Single-owner sales
Focused catalogues for significant private collections and studio estates.
Sale 09 / Modern utility
Objects
with a
second life.
Furniture, lighting and studio objects selected for authorship, material honesty and continued usefulness.
Live sale
12 Sep · 18:00
Lots
64
Cover lot / 031
Low cabinet in kiaat
Estimate
R28,000–36,000
About / house view
We sell the object and the evidence around it.
Lot 17 is a fictional specialist auction house for twentieth-century and contemporary design. Our catalogues focus on provenance, construction, repair and use rather than decorative mythology.
We work with estates, collectors, studios and institutions to identify objects carefully, photograph them honestly and place them with buyers who understand what they are acquiring.
Offerings / services
Four ways through the room.
Seasonal auctions
Curated mixed-owner sales across furniture, lighting, ceramics and works on paper.
Private placement
Discreet matching for objects better served outside public auction.
Collection advisory
Inventory, valuation and deaccession planning for collectors and institutions.
Process / consigning
From cupboard to catalogue.
01
Send
Images, dimensions, maker marks and anything known about history.
02
Assess
Specialist review, comparable results and preliminary estimate.
03
Inspect
In-person condition, attribution, provenance and measurements.
04
Catalogue
Photography, research, condition report and sale placement.
05
Settle
Buyer payment clears, then proceeds and unsold instructions follow.
Work / current sale
Modern Utility.
Viewing 8–12 Sep
Sale 12 Sep · 18:00
Lot 017No reserve note
Bentwood lounge chair, 1968
K. van Rensburg
Estimate R18,000–24,000
Lot 023No reserve note
Studio lamp, c. 1974
Unknown Cape workshop
Estimate R7,500–10,000
Lot 041No reserve note
Modular shelving system
L. Motsepe
Estimate R22,000–30,000
Lot 052No reserve note
Stoneware vessel pair
N. Jacobs
Estimate R9,000–13,000
89%
lots sold
42%
new bidders
17
countries bidding
9.8 d
avg. seller settlement
People / specialists
The catalogue has names behind it.
Naledi Khosa
Head of design
Furniture · Southern African modernism
Thomas Reid
Specialist
Lighting · industrial design
Rhea Patel
Registrar
Provenance · logistics · condition
Mpho Dube
Auctioneer
Live sales · private clients
Insights / object notes
Look closer before you bid.
Material note 12
When a repair improves an object's history
How to distinguish restoration that erases from repair that documents use.
Maker file 08
Tracing workshop marks without overclaiming
What an attribution can responsibly say when archives are incomplete.
Buyer guide 05
Reading a condition report
The difference between wear, damage, later addition and structural concern.
FAQ / objections
Before the hammer.
How do I register to bid?
Create a bidder profile before the sale and complete identity verification. Higher-value lots may require an additional deposit or bank reference.
What does the condition report include?
Visible wear, repairs, replacements and material issues observed during cataloguing. Reports are opinions, not guarantees, and in-person inspection is encouraged.
Is the buyer's premium included in the estimate?
No. Estimates exclude buyer's premium, applicable tax, delivery and any export-related costs. The fee schedule is published with every catalogue.
Can you arrange shipping?
Yes. We coordinate local collection and specialist third-party shipping. Quotes are provided after sale because dimensions, packing and destination determine cost.
Contact / conversion