Decorative Arts
The Decorative
Arts Department
Webb’s Decorative Arts Department offers excellent knowledge and curation of a range of fascinating objects. Our online and live auctions comprise of decorative arts covering a wide array of periods and styles from early-European antiques to pieces of mid-20th century modernist design, furniture and furnishings.
Upcoming Live Auction
Material Culture
Live Auction | Monday 20 May, 6:30pm
Webb’s is now inviting entries for the upcoming Material Culture live auction. This sale promises to present another exceptional offering to a market eager to acquire at all levels.
With Webb’s buyers looking to add to their collections and emerging collectors following our auctions closely, there has never been a better time to bring objects of Taonga and Material Culture to market.
Leah Morris
Head of Decorative Arts
Recent Live Auction
Design Live
Live Auction | Monday 15 April, 6:30pm
After a very popular Design Live catalogue viewing and auction, our Decorative Arts department is offering, for a limited time, a chance to make post-auction offers on the lots that did not reach reserve.
This is an excellent opportunity to obtain — at highly competitive prices — designer furniture and lighting, decor and homewares that have withstood the test of time.
Explore our online catalogue for unsold items and get in touch with our team of experts to express your interest. They will negotiate with vendors on your behalf. We urge you to be quick as all realistic post auction offers are handled in a first come first served basis.
Florence S. Fournier
Specialist, Decorative Arts
The Decorative Arts Department
Webb’s Decorative Arts Department offers excellent knowledge and curation of a range of fascinating objects.
Our online and live auctions comprise of decorative arts covering a wide array of periods and styles from early-European antiques to pieces of mid-20th century modernist design, including furniture and furnishings, such as mirrors, clocks, rugs, ceramics, art glass, silver and more.
We are seeing the market for decorative arts continue to grow with no signs of slowing down and it is a pleasure to be consistently achieving excellent results for our diverse sales. We have consistently seen high returns as more and more people look to the secondary market for unique and hard-to-find pieces.
Our March live auction saw a Campana Brothers ‘Celia’ Dining Suite sell for $28,440, exceeding its high estimate of $22,500. The demand for applied arts is booming, with recent Studio Ceramics and Studio Glass sales achieving 100% sell-through rates. Particular highlights from these auction included a rare Dame Lucie Rie Elliptical Form Bowl which sold for $5,925. These outstanding results are testament to the passion and commitment out our specialist team.
With a dedicated client base following our Material Culture auctions closely, we have seen incredible returns. A Complete Set of the Three Official Publications of Cook’s Voyages in First Editions sold for a breath-taking $133,403 in our January sale. It has been exciting to bring these sales to life and achieve such phenomenal results; we are always looking ahead to the next one.
Head of Decorative Arts
Leah Morris
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Leah studied at the University of Auckland earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Ancient History in 2015. In 2017 she graduated with an Honours in Museum Studies and Cultural Heritage and is currently completing her Master’s degree.
Before coming to Webb’s Leah’s most recent tenure was working as a Collection Technician at the Auckland Museum – Tamaki Paenga Hira for Human History in which she researched and catalogued the Social History, Applied Arts and Design, and World collections.
Leah has a particular interest in West African art, Taonga, and New Zealand studio pottery and glass.
Florence S. Fournier
Specialist, Decorative Arts
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Florence S. Fournier is a specialist in our Decorative Arts department. With a background in mid-century modern furniture and boutique brands, Florence has a developed a deep appreciation for enduring design principles.
In her role at Webb's, Florence's expertise shines in exhibition installations and photoshoot styling, earning her recognition as a rising star in the New Zealand auction scene. Florence is particularly interested in discovering rare designs with exceptional provenance.
Having a background in marketing combined with deep knowledge and years of experience in decorative arts, Florence consistently creates compelling narratives that resonate with discerning collectors.
Florence's enthusiasm for beautiful objects and keen eye for design make her an invaluable asset to the team at Webb's.
