100 Years: Lalique, Silver and Art from the collection of Vera Dubin.

8 May 2026

• 100 Years presents the estate of Dr. Vera Dubin, reflecting a life shaped by art, music and cultural patronage.
• A notable collection of René Lalique glass, including rare pre-war designs, forms a defining highlight.
• European silver showcases both sculptural presence and refined decorative detail.
• United by their quiet sensibility, key artworks feature by the likes of Francis Bacon, Andrew Verster, Jean Weltz and Rodolphe Théophile Bosshard.

Strauss & Co is pleased to present 100 Years: Lalique, Silver and Art from the collection of Vera Dubin, a timed-online sale from 30 April to 25 May 2026.

Shaped over a century, the collection of Dr. Vera Dubin offers a portrait of a life lived in close and continuous dialogue with the arts. Dubin’s influence extended well beyond her anthology of art and decorative pieces. As founder of Durban’s Friends of Music in 1982, she played a defining role in sustaining the city’s classical music scene. Her professional life was equally distinguished: graduating from the University of Cape Town in 1948 as one of only two women in her class, her career in dermatology co-existed with her cultural pursuits.

Built gradually, the collection reflects a consistent and assured sensibility, shaped by both instinct and experience. Greater than the sum of its parts, it is a considered expression of how art was lived with—where Lalique glass, finely worked silver and art exist in quiet dialogue. Presented as a single estate sale, this cohesive assemblage offers insight into the enduring clarity of Dubin’s vision.

The sale’s defining highlight — René Lalique glass — balances form and function, boasting several sought-after pieces produced only during the revolutionary designer’s lifetime. The Gros Scarabées vase (Lot 6, Est R100 000 – R120 000), a rare pre-war closed model, is distinguished by its bold relief of scarabs in rich amber, while the Domrémy vase (Lot 21, Est R30 000 – R35 000) is notable for its unusual silver collar and delicately rendered thistles. Together with his opalescent ‘Formose’ vase (Lot 1, Est R30 000 – R35 000) and its swirling carp motif, these sculptural vessels hold enduring appeal a century on and exemplify the bond between Art Deco and the natural world.

Balancing this emphasis on glass, the silver within the collection reflects a more grounded appreciation of craftsmanship and form. Spanning notable European makers, it balances utility with ornament through finely worked detail and proportion. A 19th-century punch bowl by Carl Hessenberg (Lot 56, Est R2 000- R3 000) stands out for its sculptural, gadrooned body, while a set of George IV salts by S.C. Younge & Co (Lot 28, Est R10 000- R12 000) offers a more delicate expression, with shell and acanthus detail and gilt interiors.

Extending beyond the decorative arts, the collection of paintings and works on paper confirms Dubin’s considered and personal sensibility, spanning South African and European artists. Favouring introspection over grand statement, these works are united by their focus on figure and place. Portrait of a Woman by Jean Welz (Lot 73, Est R150 000-R200 000) is marked by contemplative stillness, its softened palette and quiet interiority characteristic of his later work. Equally pensive, Rodolphe Théophile Bosshard’s A Young Girl Sitting with a Book in Her Lap (Lot 74, Est R80 000-R120 000) reflects a strong Cubist influence, with the sitter broken up into faceted planes.

In contrast, Andrew Verster’s Beach Scene (Lot 79, Est R70 000-R100 000) introduces a more immediate, local register, its pared-back forms and luminous colour capturing the unique atmosphere of the South African coastline. This dialogue is further extended through a work on paper by Francis Bacon (Lot 77, R70 000-R100 000), derived from his Metropolitan Triptych, where the artist’s distinctive figuration evokes a more disquieting intensity.

“Layered with time and memory, the collection of Dr. Vera Dubinpresents the enduring imprint of a singular vision, shaped over a century,” says Design and Decorative Arts Coordinator Jill van Dugteren.

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