Decorative Arts
Leonard Joel Decorative Arts Auctions present fine European and Australian furniture, porcelain, silver, clocks, portrait miniatures, works of art and sculpture.
With a focus on timeless quality and craftsmanship, the appeal of this Fine Auction category is far-reaching, attracting discerning collectors and those seeking unique and original statement pieces to enhance their traditional or contemporary interior.
If you have a single piece or a collection you are considering selling, please contact us for a complimentary valuation.
Decorative Arts Auction Highlights
Decorative Arts Specialists
Chiara Curcio
Head of Decorative Arts, Design & Interiors
Contact ChiaraChiara joined Leonard Joel in 2011 with a keen interest in antiques and the auction market. After completing her Bachelor Degree with a focus in Theory of Art and Design, Archeology, History and languages, Chiara joined Leonard Joel as a junior objects assistant. Her eager interest in object and furniture design and their histories moved her from junior assistant, to manager and then Decorative Arts specialist within a four year period.
In 2017, Chiara was appointed Head of Decorative Arts; within her tenure, she has pioneered two dedicated Asian Art auctions in this category per year and further developed partnerships with local and international collectors and societies within this field.
In addition to valuing and curating specialty auctions, Chiara is also a Senior auctioneer, offering eight years of auctioneering experience.
David Parsons
Head of Private Estates & Valuations, Decorative Arts Specialist
Contact DavidSince taking his BA in art and architectural history, David has spent thirty years handling and studying antique furniture, objects, and art in salerooms, museums, and collections in Australia and England. He has a keen interest and depth of knowledge in earlier furniture and art but, as Leonard Joel’s Head of Private Estates and Valuations, is well versed in handling, researching, valuing, and cataloguing in all areas of the fine and decorative arts.
Having long observed the direct relationship between the quality of cataloguing and results at auction, David is a firm believer in the importance of well-written cataloguing that is confident, precise, and well-informed by strong technical knowledge and research – all of which he brings to the table to the benefit of Leonard Joel’s clients.
Ronan Sulich
Senior Adviser, Sydney
Contact RonanRonan’s career is deeply grounded in the fine and decorative arts, with an arts degree from the University of Sydney majoring in Fine Art and Archaeology followed by a graduate diploma of Museum Studies. His ensuing three years at the storied David Jones Art Gallery, rounded out a practical understanding of the decorative arts as well as contemporary Australian art, followed by time spent as curator at the atmospheric and untouched Rouse Hill House.
Moving to London in 1988 he worked in a busy auction house in Chelsea cataloguing a weekly antiques sale and has calculated that in the five years he was there he catalogued 300 lots per week for 48 sales per annum, about 70,000 objects described in his time there. Christie’s Australia offered him the role as the decorative arts specialist in the Sydney office in 1995 and he had the opportunity to work on many of the milestone auctions of the time, the Whiteman Collection, the BinThuan Shipwreck sale, the collections of Leo Schofield at Bronte House and John Schaeffer at Rona in Bellevue Hill. With the closure of the Australian salerooms in 2006 he was made the Christie’s representative for Australia and until 2020 worked with major collectors and collections, institutions and artists.
Madeleine Norton
Head of Decorative Arts & Art, Sydney
Contact MadeleineOriginally from Perth, Madeleine completed a double degree in Commerce and Fine Art at the University of Western Australia. From Perth she moved to London to undertake her master’s degree at Christie’s Education in History of Art and Art-world Practice. Following her studies she interned at the Peggy Guggenheim, Venice and Sotheby’s, London where she then worked for a further two years in the Contemporary Art Department on both auctions and private sales. Moving to New York in 2017 Madeleine worked at the blue-chip art gallery Sperone Westwater for two years before returning home to Australia.
In Sydney she has built her knowledge of decorative arts working on The Collector’s Auction, as well as the private collections of Dr Trevor Hyde, the late John Schaeffer AO, Trevor Kennedy AM and the Brans Collection. As a specialist in both decorative arts and art, her highly organised auctions in the Sydney saleroom highlight Leonard Joel’s multitude of strengths within the secondary market.
Our Departments
Leonard Joel offers specialist experience and regular, curated auctions across a diverse range of categories.
Important Collections
Over our 100 year history, Leonard Joel has been entrusted with the auction of some of the most interesting and important collections in Australia.
Jewellery
Founded over four decades ago, Leonard Joel’s Jewellery department leads the market in Australia with regular, curated auctions in Melbourne and Sydney.
Art
Leonard Joel’s Art Department offers expertise and extensive market knowledge in traditional, modern, international and contemporary art.
Decorative arts
Leonard Joel presents fine European and Australian interiors in curated collections.
Asian Art
Featuring important Chinese jade, ceramics and textiles, Himalayan, Indian, Japanese and Korean works of art.
Modern Design
Modern Design is one of Leonard Joel’s most dynamic and increasingly popular collecting categories.
Luxury
Unique to the Australian marketplace, Leonard Joel’s Luxury department offers vintage and contemporary handbags and accessories.
Collectables
Leonard Joel provides unrivalled expertise in this eclectic collecting category.