East Indian Company merchants en route from China to Europe were regular prey of the buccaneers and pirates who haunted this Indian Ocean island, but these days the trade would face no such danger. Of the dozen Dawsons consigned to Christie’s for sale, this oil was the most valuable, bringing $185,000 (£135,000) plus 17.5/10 per cent buyer’s premium.
Montague Dawson oil on canvas
Members of the trade still looking for a suitable holiday destination could do worse than consider Pirate’s Cove on Cocos Island, the subject of this Montague Dawson oil on canvas, 3ft 4in by 4ft 2in, which appeared at Christie’s Maritime sale in New York on July 31.
