A rare mosaic artwork by a renowned sculptor from Suffolk failed to sell at auction after receiving no bids.
Dame Elisabeth Frink’s Monkey and The Dolphin was expected to fetch between £300,000 and £500,000.
The piece once formed a striking centrepiece in the swimming pool at Woolland House, the artist’s country estate in Dorset.
Auctioneer Sworders said it was a “significant piece” which gave collectors an “extraordinary opportunity to acquire a major and virtually unknown work” – but it did not pique the interest when it went under the hammer.
“£200,000? £210,000 to bid now, no other bids are coming through, thank you, not sold,” said the auctioneer, as he brought the hammer down on Wednesday.
The Monkey and The Dolpin was based on an ancient fable by Aesop – the Greek slave and storyteller.
Collector Ken Bolan purchased the piece in 2020 and it became part of his Nature Follows Form collection.
He first came into contact with Frink in 1986, as she used to visit his antiques shop in Bath, purchasing numerous pieces over the following months.
It was during this time that Dame Frink created the 4.34m by 3.09m mosaic, carrying out all of the work entirely by herself.
Antiques expert Mr Bolan has said: “It’s all original and all the work you see is her work. We haven’t had to rebuild any of it.”
Described as being one of “Britain’s most celebrated 20th Century sculptors”, Dame Frink, from Great Thurlow near Haverhill, died in 1993 at the age of 62.
The mosaic is considered the only work of its kind in her collection.
“[It is] not only a rare artistic departure for Frink but also one of the largest single works she ever produced,” a spokesperson for Sworders said ahead of the auction.
After purchasing the piece, the mosaic was carefully removed from the pool, conserved and mounted on to a custom-made aluminium framework.
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