Christian McCann Auctions

From 5pm on Sunday November 17, Australian auctioneer Phil Caldwell will team up with Melbourne-based Christian McCann Auctions to sell Terry and Tena Wheeler ‘s collection of Japanese Meiji Period (1868-1912) masterpieces and rare porcelain at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford.

The Wheeler collection almost never happened. English born, the family migrated in 1967 to the Western Australian mining town of Kambalda near Kalgoorlie to work for Western Mining Corporation.

Bidders will have to wait until the end of Melbourne-based Christian McCann Auctions Sunday March 3 sale to contend for an important 19^th century Italian carved giltwood centre table (lot 400), distinctive for carved gold entwined sea serpents base support.

The table has a $40,000-$60,000 catalogue estimate and is the highlight of an exclusive auction featuring 19^th century French and English antiques that will begin at 12pm at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford.

Famous 18^th century English furniture maker Thomas Chippendale’s skills will be on show with an attributed nine-drawer mahogany carved floral knee hole desk (lot 107) at Christian McCann Auctions forthcoming Melbourne sale from 12pm Sunday November 12 at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford – carrying a catalogue estimate of $20,000-$30,000.

Chippendale, who died in 1779 in London, is synonymous with the Anglicized version of Rococo style furniture.

An attractive Tudor-style mansion called The Gables, belonging to a prominent local antiques dealer and situated in the Victorian Western Districts town of Hamilton, is the venue for Christian McCann’s forthcoming on site fine and decorative arts auction from 12pm Sunday June 25 at 69 French Street.

The entire contents are destined to go under the hammer and featuring a superb collection of 18^th and 19^th century English furniture and French, English and Italian glass chandeliers, the auction is a must for collectors.

Right from the start of Melbourne-based Christian McCann’s forthcoming “Treasures from the Past” auction from 12pm Sunday May 28 at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford, auction goers will be impressed with the value and versatility of the items on offer.

Four highly prized items in Melbourne-based Christian McCann Auctions forthcoming May sale will no doubt see serious collectors of Chinese antiquities keen to raise their auction paddles once bidding begins in earnest.

Two of the lots – a large an important Qing dynasty (1644-1911) jade seal with ‘He Tian Jasper’ written on the base (lot 102) and an exceptional archaic bronze lidded two-handed water vessel (lot 103) – are carrying individual catalogue estimates of $150,000-$225,000.

Another magnificent Victorian mansion – this time the one christened “Chevy Chase” after a ballad about a 14^th century battle Scottish and English forces – is the venue for a joint Christian McCann-John Ainger decorative arts auction from 11am Sunday April 2.

The mansion, at 201-205 Were Street, Brighton was sold in October last year for a rumoured approximately $13 million and has been the home for the past 43 years of Darren and Jennifer Overend.

If it hadn’t been for Eloi and Winifred (Wini) van Paridon, Australians might never have discovered the elegance and beauty of Belgian antiques.

Pioneers of the Australian antique trade, the husband and wife team were instrumental in introducing local collectors to the wonders of European creations through their Sassafras-based business Van Paridon Antiques in the hills of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges.

Melbourne auctioneer Christian McCann is positive that a 19^th century museum quality Sevres vase on a matching base (lot 16), totalling 2.4 metres high, will end up overseas following his forthcoming art and antiques auction from 12pm Sunday March 19 at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford.

“It’s more suited to the Palace of Versailles than an Abbotsford auction room,” he said. “I’ll be very surprised if it remains in Australia.”

The life of Melbourne architect John Beswicke (1847-1925) has once more been brought into sharp focus with the forthcoming auction of the complete contents of elegant Hawthorn residence ‘Ellerslie’, which he designed and was built in 1891.

Situated at 16 Harcourt Street, Hawthorn, the onsite auction – from 12pm Sunday February 19 – will be carried out by McCann Auctions and promises to attract a plethora of buyers.