The pre-auction exhibition, The Starcke Collection of African Art, at Strauss & Co's Houghton showroom pays tribute to Starcke's life, with head curator Wilhelm van Rensburg recreating the wonderful chaos of her Killarney apartment. The walls even feature her signature shade of bright pink lipstick. It's a showcase well worth a visit, where the strength and vibrancy of Starcke's personality and taste shine through the strange and enchanting sculptures, lights, furniture, and trinkets on display.
It's an unusual sale for Strauss, but perhaps one of our favourites yet. The timed online auction runs until 14:00 on Wed, Nov 19, 2025. Browse the lots here.
From Europe to South Africa
Born in Germany in 1936, Starcke worked in the hotels of Europe before meeting and marrying the artist Helmut Starcke. They moved to South Africa in 1958. While her husband painted, Starcke worked in galleries, boutiques, and bookshops, all the while voraciously reading and learning. They became part of the Cape Belle Monde, and both Irma Stern and Stanley Pinker painted portraits of Starcke. A reproduction of Stern's portrait makes up part of the collection on sale at Strauss & Co, presenting a comparatively modest version of Starcke compared to her lush portrait by Frances Kendall, though she still looks resplendent against a backdrop of cool greens.
It was after moving to Johannesburg that her career as a writer and analyst took off. She worked for the Financial Mail and, in 1978, released the book Survival, a series of interviews with South Africa's power elite around their perceptions of the present and future. She later launched her own publication Starcke Realities, utilising her broad knowledge of politics as well as insights from her wide-spanning social network to provide analysis of political and economic affairs for the elite of South Africa.
The birth of a collection
by colours from Starcke's life. Photo: Supplied.
Starcke's move to Joburg also prompted her deep interest in African art, with the story going that as she walked past the Totem Meneghelli Gallery on Eloff Street, a sculpture from West Africa "whispered loudly" to her. She walked inside, her heart racing, to put down a deposit. Her collection spanned over 150 artworks from different countries and eras, some of which are now housed at the Wits Art Museum (WAM) in Braamfontein, and the rest of which are on auction alongside her eclectic mix of antique and modern furniture, ceramics, and paintings.
In a 2008 profile of Starcke in the Maverick, Tanya Pampalone describes stepping into Starcke's flat in Killarney as "an intellectual amusement park ride into the depths of the world of Ms Starcke: one part gallery, one part library, one part boudoir." And though the Strauss showroom is missing the forest of indoor plants, newspapers, and ashtrays which Pampalone points out, they have managed to capture the unusual world of Starcke, and the flat that once hosted clandestine meetings between key role-players in the politics of the 80s and 90s.
Here are a few things to keep an eye out for when you visit:
1. Mami Wata
There are two central Igbo Mami Wata figures in the Starcke collection, both from the mid-20th century. A central water spirit across Africa as well as parts of the Caribbean, the iconography of Mami Wata shows the complex evolution and interplays of culture – drawing on African folklore, tales of European mermaids, and imagery from Hinduism. A pidjin English term, Mami Wata has come to be associated with healing, life, wealth, and a connection to water though, much like water, she can also have a malevolent side. It is this interplay of dualities, both in Mami Wata's origination and in her nature, which make each of these sculptures so unique.
2. Colonial encounters in art
There are more than a few 'colon' figures forming part of the Starcke collection. Head curator and senior art specialist at Strauss & Co, Wilhelm van Rensburg explains how this term originated for a particular form of sculpture which emerged in West Africa under colonialism. These colon figures blend the clothes, accessories, and imagery of colonial settlers with traditional West African carving aesthetics and forms. According to Strauss, they straddle "the encounter between African self-definition and European dominance" and the myriad complexities and resistances that this brought. Indeed, with Starcke pairing them with pop art, political works, and all sorts of other artefacts, these complexities are only deepened.
3. Whimsy, wit, and pop art
We're ever a fan of Ardmore Ceramics, and they get a strong showing with tongue-in-cheek teapots, No Sorry After Death and A Little Fart in the Face, from Fée Halsted. One of our favourites from the whole collection was Bonakele (Bonnie) Ntshalintshali's Aeroplane candelabra with animals that would bring the perfect amount of whimsy to any candle-lit evening. With as bold a personality as Starcke, you would expect a few works of pop art and here, the watercolour II Fait Beau/Nice wea... ther by Helmut Starcke and the mixed-media works of Joe Tilson bring extra pizzazz and verve. These pair nicely with two Nigerian barber posters by Ahongan Komla, which feature the same print-like qualities.
4. An eclectic mix of furniture
It is unusual for Strauss & Co to auction furniture, and one can see why they would make an exception for this occasion. Antique armchairs from India with animal print upholstery sit next to an Eames chaise lounge, a Giacomo Castiglioni-inspired lamp illuminates lacquered wood panel screens, and a Hans Peter Krafft White lamb children's chair stands next to African masks. A highlight is a canopy bed from Zanzibar, which features decorative panels and leopard-print sheets.
View the collection
Viewings are open daily from 09:00 – 16:00, with specialist walkabouts on Sat, Nov 15 and Sun, Nov 16 at 11:00 at Strauss & Co’s Houghton headquarters (89 Central St).Running alongside the auction of Anna Starcke's collection is a phenomenal array of South African art, including a pre-exile Gerard Sekoto, 15 wildlife drawings by William Kentridge, a range of JH Pierneef works from across his oeuvre, and a compelling showcase of pioneering painting by Maggie Laubser. Get the details here and make sure to view the lots at straussart.co.za/auctions.
STRAUSS & CO NOVEMBER 2025 FLAGSHIP AUCTIONS
William Kentridge Drawings from the Engen Collection: Mon, Nov 17, 2025 at 19:00
Online auction, Modern and Contemporary Art: Closes Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 14:00
Live auction, Modern and Contemporary Art: Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 19:00
The Starcke Collection of African Art: Closes Wed, Nov 19, 2025 at 14:00
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