During the last half century, Webb’s has supplied art and objects that complete New Zealand’s homes and workplaces, often with architecture as the common thread.
When Peter Webb opened his Auckland gallery on the corner of Lorne and Wellesley Streets in 1976, his conviction was simple: if New Zealanders could see, live with and understand their own art, they would increasingly value it. Fifty years on, that idea still underpins Webb’s, and it has made the auction house a long-standing resource for those furnishing homes and commercial interiors across Aotearoa.
Peter understood early that art belongs in the workplace as much as in the living room. In 1962, he persuaded Sir James Fletcher to acquire five JBC Hoyte watercolours for “£300 or thereabouts”. Installed in the company offices, the works were intended to show staff that art was not an esoteric pursuit but something capable of enriching everyday life. That modest purchase and seemingly fleeting moment in art history became the foundation of The Fletcher Trust Collection, one of New Zealand’s most prestigious private art collections, with a strong historical connection to the built environment of Aotearoa.
The relationship between art and architecture has shaped several of the auction house’s defining sales. In 2021, for instance, Webb’s partnered with Wall Real Estate to offer The Sang House, the Remuera residence architect and collector Ron Sang designed for himself in 1973. From its vast front door and mosaic-tiled pool to its custom Guy Ngan door handle, the residence was presented as a work of art in its own right, alongside artworks assembled to complement its period and aesthetic.
Design has also long cohabitated with art in the auction room. Garth Chester’s iconic 1944 Curvesse chair, formed from thin sheets of laminated plywood, was described by design historian Douglas Lloyd Jenkins as “the first cantilevered plywood chair to appear anywhere in the world”. Ernest Shufflebotham’s hand-potted Crown Lynn vases, with their concentric lathed bands, carry an aesthetic of modern restraint still highly regarded by collectors. Anton Seuffert’s bonheur du jour, its central door inlaid with a moa, a kiwi and ponga, set a record for New Zealand furniture in 1986, while a huanghuali corner-leg table, valued for its strong architectural lines, realised $185,225.
After 50 years in business, and across its Art, Decorative Arts and Asian Art departments, Webb’s continues to offer the pieces that complete a space: modern and mid-century furniture, studio ceramics, collectible design and the paintings that anchor a room. For architects, designers and their clients, provenance and quality remain the measure.
Should you wish to consign, enquire about a private sale or seek a valuation, visit webbs.co.nz
Webb’s 50th Anniversary Exhibition
Launch event: Tuesday, 8 December, 6pm–8pm
On view: Tuesday, 8 December–Friday, 11 December
Location: Webb’s, 33a Normanby Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
