Peter Collingwood To Raise Funds for Ukraine

The trademark ‘microgauze’ hanging of woven linen and steel was recently given to a fund-raising event in Suffolk but was consigned to auction after specialist advice. Sworders has sold several similar pieces in recent years for significant sums.

Based in Colchester for much of his career, Collingwood (1922-2008) was at the forefront of weaving for 50 years. His wall hangings, many of them sold at the time through Liberty’s and Heals, use the traditional craft to create very modern visual abstraction. Today they are admired and collected worldwide.

Measuring 63cm wide by 150cm high, the hanging titled M.74 No.12, was bought directly from Collingwood in the early 1980’s by the vendor’s mother, Mary Poston. She was an enthusiastic weaver and had joined a craft cruise for which Collingwood provided lectures and tutoring. The vendor David Poston also knew Collingwood. As a designer and maker of jewellery, he had visited the weaver’s workshop in Nayland in his teens and continued to meet him occasionally through professional events as his career evolved. “After I ceased practising as a jewellery designer in order to work for development in rural Africa I encountered a number of interesting traditional textiles on my travels, particularly rope work and soft woven baskets. I gave him examples for his textile collection.”

David had responded to a call for donations from local artist Wil Harvey who was organising a fete in Wenhaston, near Southwold. Knowing that his mother had worked with and for refugees it seemed entirely appropriate to donate her Collingwood weaving to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. However, it soon became apparent that professional advice might be needed. “As soon as Wil had researched its potential value he suggested that it would be proper to offer the piece through more specialist channels rather than in the local community centre auction, to which I readily agreed.” It is expected to bring between £4,000-6,000 when it goes under the hammer on Wednesday 18 May.

VIEW LOT

The forthcoming Design auction will be conducted live from our Stansted Mountfitchet Auction Rooms over two days on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 May. For more information about the sale, please contact - 

John Black

johnblack@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by the disaster in Ukraine. For more information about the work of the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and to donate, please visit https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal