Christian McCann Auctions

Christian McCann Auctions had barely moved into its new premises at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford when Australian government restrictions on trading and social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic forced its next sale to be carried out entirely online, by telephone or absentee bidding.

This, despite the new premises being set up with a second gallery specifically purposed for displaying art and jewellery at each forthcoming auction.

Christian McCann Auctions has coincided its move to new, larger premises at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford with some of the best quality furniture and collectables to be auctioned in Australia for many years.

This is the modest claim of managing director Christian McCann who has selected the auction pieces from items consigned to the company over the past six months.

“The quality of these items is simply unsurpassed,” he said – looking forward to the sale from noon Sunday March 15 at the new premises.

Kilora, the homestead belonging to one of Australia’s best known 19^th century newspaper editors and proprietors, George Henry Mott (1831-1906), will be auctioned in Hamilton, Victoria, from 11am Sunday February 23 by Christian McCann Auctions.

The house sale, at 45 Kennedy Street, will be followed at 12pm by its contents. Considered one of the most important houses in Hamilton it was built for Mott – who at that stage was editor of the Hamilton Spectator – in 1871 on the best site in town.

Works by some of Australia’s leading artists – including Charles Blackman, John Perceval, David and Penleigh Boyd – are among an onsite Christian McCann Auctions sale from noon Sunday December 8 at 11 Kent Court, Toorak.

Blackman’s Red and Yellow Jonquils (lot 229) is particularly appealing – along with John Perceval’s By Gaud I’m a Pumpkin 1989 (lot 43) and Penleigh Boyd’s two works Figures resting beneath the tall gum tree by the bay (lot 187) and Bushwalker under the tall ghost gums in the Australian landscape (lot 188).

Christian McCann Auctions has been busy as it prepares for its second auction in seven days – an historic Western Districts homestead called Sylvan Grove and located at 101 Mibus Lane Croxton East near Hamilton, Victoria.

The auction, from noon Sunday November 24, will be a time machine trip back into history as it features a magnificent collection of early English and European antiques lovingly collected over a lifetime to furnish the blue stone homestead built originally in 1866 by German Lutheran migrants Johann Huf Junior and his wife Pauline who had five surviving children.

The estate of a North Caulfield-based Jewish-Hungarian collector, who escaped Nazi German clutches during World War II then managed to migrate with her family to Australia before the Russian invasion of 1956, will be auctioned from noon on Sunday November 17 by Christian McCann Auctions.

The onsite sale, at 51 Rosemount Avenue North Caulfield, features the rare and untouched collection of the late Agi Gold – who returned to Budapest following the Holocaust and liberation, only to have to flee once more when Russian occupation of the country was imminent.

After more than 50 years icons of the Australian antiques trade, John and Barbara Wigg, have called it a day and are selling the entire contents of their New South Wales property through Christian McCann Auctions from noon Sunday October 27.

The onsite auction at 30 Andrews Avenue Kooringal, Wagga Wagga involves the entire contents and private collection of the family home (which also is for sale) including the most important 19^th century mahogany sideboard (lot 58) to be offered at auction in recent memory, according to auctioneer Christian McCann.

A Faberge enamel and sterling silver bedroom clock in its original case (lot 64) will be a major highlight of Christian McCann Auctions forthcoming on site sale bristling with 18^th and 19^th century antiques from noon Sunday October 20 at 9 Barnard Road, Toorak.

When Christian McCann was invited to auction the entire contents of a Victorian mansion at 34 Brewster Street, Essendon, little did he realise the intriguing facts he would uncover about its past.

The mansion features a tower where the original merchant owner would sit to watch for the ships carrying his imported cargo to sail into port – but that is not what makes this historic property so fascinating.

Any visitor who looks up will see ceilings painted by an artisan who unfortunately would never complete his work.

A Russian Morozol enamel carriage clock (lot 86) is an outstanding example of the 18^th and 19^th century clocks to be auctioned from noon Sunday August 25 by Christian McCann Auctions at 429 Burnley Street, Richmond.

According to auctioneer Christian McCann this “Goodbye Burnley Street” auction part two will be the final sale at the premises the company has occupied since it was established in 2010.

“It will take a while to move to the new premises because we have three large on site house auctions in the next three months,” he said.