This autumn, Sworders will present an extraordinary sale that offers a rare glimpse into the world of one of Britain’s most respected dealers. Ken Bolan: Nature Follows Form, taking place on September 24, will feature 400 carefully chosen lots from Bolan’s personal collection, a treasure trove that spans five decades of passionate collecting. Among the highlights is an exceptional mosaic mural by Dame Elisabeth Frink, believed to be the only work of its kind by the celebrated sculptor.
For more than 50 years, Ken Bolan has built his reputation on instinct, curiosity, and a global vision for design. From his first shop in Switzerland in 1973 to the creation of the iconic Talisman brand in Dorset during the 1980s and 90s, his approach has always been rooted in exploration. “You couldn’t just Google things back then, you had to go out into the world,” Bolan recalls. “France, Sweden, India, China… I went with no preconceptions and discovered what I loved.”
His taste has evolved with the market, from English country house elegance to painted furniture, and more recently, to post-war and vintage design. Many of the sale’s pieces come with stories, such as an 18th-century polychrome Danish cupboard bought at auction in Copenhagen nearly forty years ago for £20,000, cherished ever since but now ready for a new home.
The collection also includes a remarkable group of carved and painted bird sculptures by Guy Taplin, the largest to appear at auction in years, alongside Continental furniture, garden statuary, and unique design pieces. But it is the Frink mosaic The Monkey and the Dolphin, once part of her Dorset estate, that leads the sale with an estimate of £300,000–500,000 — a monumental and unique testament to their friendship and shared love of beauty. A remarkable and unique mosaic panel by renowned British sculptor Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930–1993) once formed a striking centrepiece in the swimming pool at Woolland House, her country estate in Dorset. Now rediscovered and restored, The Monkey and the Dolphin - inspired by the ancient Aesop fable - stands as a singular example of Frink’s exploration of mosaic as a medium, and is believed to be the only work of its kind in her oeuvre.
In a parallel spirit, collectors like Pauline Karpidas have also shaped the art world through vision and personal connection. As Sotheby’s Europe Chairman Oliver Barker describes her collection: “From the calibre of the artworks to the stories of deep friendships, it’s a window into a world of boldness and conviction.” For Karpidas, the decision to part with her London home collection is not an ending but a continuation of her journey: “I’ve always been a custodian. Now it’s time for these works to find their next guardians, while I continue to live among art and support the artists I love.”
Like Karpidas, Bolan’s sale is as much about passing on a legacy as it is about parting with objects. Each piece is a chapter in a life lived with an insatiable curiosity for beauty, and now, the opportunity belongs to a new generation of collectors to write the next page.
Supplied by Sworders - Auction House, UK.