No bids for rare swimming pool mosaic at auction

Ken Bolan bought the mosaic after the death of the artist - also his close friend - Dame Elisabeth Frink

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 when it went under the hammer at Sworders.

The piece once formed a striking centrepiece in the swimming pool at Woolland House, the artist's country estate in Dorset.

"Unfortunately, the mosaic did not find a buyer," said John Black, who is director for the auction house.

"However, Sworders are hopeful that an after sale for this important piece may be possible with one of the interested parties."

The piece was previously the centre piece of Frink's swimming pool at her estate in Dorset

The Monkey and The Dolpin was based on an ancient fable by Aesop - the Greek slave and storyteller.

Sworders had described it as a "significant piece" which gave collectors an "extraordinary opportunity to acquire a major and virtually unknown work".

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 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", 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.