6th Oct, 2026 10:00
Modern and Contemporary Art | to include the James Birch Collection
▲ Sir Grayson Perry RA (British, b.1960)
'The Crown of Penii', 1982
bronze with green patina, steel, leather, ceramic and found objects
24cm diameter, 11.5cm high
Footnote:Exhibited: James Birch Fine Art, King's Road, London, 'Grayson Perry Ceramics and Sculpture' (Grayson's debut solo exhibition), 14 December 1984 - 20 January 1985;
The Holburne Museum, Bath, 'Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years', 24 January 2020 - 3 January 2021, touring to York Art Gallery, 28 May 2021 - 5 September 2022 and the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, 19 September 2021 - 30 January 2022.
Literature: Catrin Jones (ed.) and Chris Stephens (ed.), 'Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years', published by Thames and Hudson Ltd., 2020, ill. p. 69.
'This work is based on a famous medieval relic, the Iron Crown in Monza Cathedral, near Milan…It combines ideas about maleness, religion and monarchy. It has lots of phallic imagery and many of the ingredients of my early work: a space shuttle, a Celtic cross, a kind of Willendorf Venus, an American car, a knife and a pistol. The first space shuttle mission had been launched in 1981 and I’d taken a great interest in it; we all thought it would blow itself into smithereens.'
- Grayson Perry ('Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years', edited by Catrin Jones and Chris Stephens, published by Thames and Hudson Ltd., London, on the occasion of the exhibition at the Holburne Museum, Bath, 2020).
'This work was in Grayson's first show at my King's Road gallery in 1984. He made this at art school (Portsmouth College of Art) where bronze was available for students. Otherwise it would have been too expensive. It’s a surprisingly heavy object.'
- James Birch
Please note that this lot has been promised for a major exhibition scheduled for 2028.
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Grayson Perry and the Neo-Naturists
Browse the selection of 'Grayson Perry and the Neo-Naturists' lots featured in our 6-7 October 'Modern and Contemporary Art | to include the James Birch Collection' auction.
£60,000 - £80,000
Buyer's premium: 32.40% (inclusive of VAT, where applicable)
Artist's Resale Right may apply to this lot
Condition Report
Dust and dirt to crevices. The leather has some spotting and staining. There appears to be a small section missing at the top of the panel that has a small figure in the centre and two shells to the base.There is one bullet missing from the panel featuring a toy gun. A golden shell at the top of another panel appears to be broken at the top. Verdigris with a distressed appearance overall. For a more detailed report and additional images please contact the department.
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Auction: Modern and Contemporary Art | to include the James Birch Collection, 6th Oct, 2026
Viewing
VIEWING
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Friday 2 October, 10am - 4pm
Sunday 4 October, 10am - 1pm
Monday 5 October, 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 6 October, 10am - 4pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
The auction will take place at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
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