Strauss & Co’s Cape Town Auction Week: Standout lots catching our eye

Everyone has one eye on the oil price and the other on world news, but that doesn’t stop us coveting beautiful things. If anything, in uncertain moments they can feel like a balm.

The auction world counts on this inbuilt desire for delight. After a slowdown in 2023 and 2024, the global auction market spent last year righting itself, and if the signs are anything to go by, 2026 is shaping up to be a good innings too.

From a record-breaking Gustav Klimt portrait that sold for $236.4m at Sotheby’s to the Mellon Blue diamond fetching $25.6m, the past 12 months have seen some pretty wow lots hammering down at serious prices.

And then there is the hippopotamus in the room.

In December, a staggering one-of-a-kind hippo-shaped bar cabinet by French artist François-Xavier Lalanne sold for $31.4m in New York. Go figure.

This marvellous mammal – and other whopping sales – demonstrate that the top end of the market is buoyant and there’s demand for the really good stuff. Locally, Strauss & Co have proven the point too, reporting year-on-year growth of 26% and total sales in 2025 of R475.5m.

Getting in on the auction

A small word of caution: do not go and look at the lots in the company’s upcoming Cape Town Auction Week sales if you actually have something productive to do.

By way of explanation, this article has taken triple the usual time to put together because I keep getting distracted by goodies I’m not even writing about but must pore over regardless. There are hundreds of lots of fine jewellery, art, furniture and objects to ogle on the sales that runs from 24 to 26 March.

It’s important to note that you don’t need to be able to part with millions to get in on the action. The variety of estimates and goods really lends itself to all kinds of budgets, interests and aesthetics.

But because I’ve looked them all, here’s a highlights package of especially interesting lots for you to start with in each of the three-day bonanza’s different themed auctions. Take a look, then go and browse yourself, mark your favourites and place a wee bid or two.

Strauss & Co’s Modern and contemporary art evening sale – 24 March

1961: a very good year

Painted in 1961, this work by George Milwa Mnyaluza Pemba comes from the collection of Cape Town cultural patrons Stan and Li Boiskin. The couple were known for their belief that art should be shared and socially meaningful rather than confined to private spaces.

Alongside collecting, they were deeply involved in educational and community initiatives, supporting Holocaust education, interfaith programmes and projects aimed at reducing prejudice through historical awareness. Their patronage reflected a broader commitment to preserving culture while fostering dialogue and understanding between communities.

If we had a few spare shekels lying around, we’d happily put them on this vivid work by one of South Africa’s great painters.

In the same year, Irma Stern painted this stunner. It’s a striking example of the artist’s confident late style. The portrait reflects Stern’s enduring fascination with costume, colour and the expressive power of the human figure.

The title refers to the traditional Spanish mantilla, the lace veil worn by women in Spain, a reference that hints at Stern’s long-standing interest in European subjects and dress. Works from this period show a painter at the height of her powers, employing bold brushwork and a rich palette to convey both presence and personality. Today she remains one of South Africa’s most celebrated artists, with paintings from the early 1960s among the most sought-after on the market.

Generations of Collecting: An Important Collection of Cape Silver, Oriental Ceramics, Furniture and Art – 25 March

Generations of Collecting brings to market an important private collection exploring the material culture of the Cape in the 18th and 19th centuries. Across more than 200 lots – including Cape silver, VOC porcelain, period furniture and art – the sale reflects the Cape’s unique position at the intersection of European craft, Asian trade and local design traditions.

A Goodman in Africa

The collection features a substantial selection of Robert Gwelo Goodman’s work. In and of themselves these paintings are an impressive bunch. Best known for luminous depictions of local landscapes and Cape Dutch homesteads, the Brit who made South Africa his home is one of our finest pastelists and an out-and-out Cape Impressionist.

The works on sale include an evocative depiction of Windhoek (note the deep shadows of the valley and the wonderful red roofs), and a painting of Table Mountain and the city at its foot, pastel flecks making the sea water glisten in the foreground. 

Blue and white delight

Ceramics make up the largest component of the auction, at around 98 pieces. The fact that they include a cornucopia of vivid blue and white pieces is a particular thrill. Take the pair of Chinese blue and white porcelain jars and covers from the Kangxi period (1662–1722) as an example. And the five legendary VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or Dutch East India Company) Arita ware plates in excellent condition – they are going to big sellers, we’re sure.

Jewellery: The uncovered classics sale – 26 March

All eyes on Egypt…

Yellow gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli and coral cabochon stones, big scarab beetles, chunky chains and stylised hieroglyphics – honestly what’s not to love? Some of these pieces date from the 1960s, some from the 1990s, and they all sport Egyptian hallmarks so are the real deal.

Panamanian panache

The idea of mosquetas might be new to you, but after seeing these examples, aren’t you completely on board? Truly, Strauss & Co have a number of fine examples.

These wonderful concentric combos of pearls and cannetille gold are icons of Panamanian design. The country was once one of the most famous pearl sources in the world, so their usage tallies. In fact, 16^th and 17^th century pearls from this neck of the woods were once some of the most coveted gems.

After more art? If you missed our recent report on the 2026 Investec Cape Town Art Fair, read it here.

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