Fine Arts Auctions

A rare walnut and gilt bronze mounted what-not by renowned Parisian cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot (1830-1906) is a major furniture attraction at auctioneer Phil Caldwell’s forthcoming on site sale of the contents of one of Brighton’s most elegant period mansions.

A French-style Toorak mansion is the setting for auctioneer Phil Caldwell’s latest on site auction featuring strong collector attractions including rare 17th and 18^th century tapestries, early Dutch and Flemish oak and elm furniture and Royal Worcester porcelain.

Belonging to a Dutch couple who have recently sold and are moving to a modern home, the auction at 3 Russell Street from 11am on Sunday March 26 is a haven of treasures for any discerning buyer.

The massive and heavy pair of stone and metal lion figures that greet visitors to Delamere Farm at 20 Old Moorooduc Road, Dromana make a perfect entrée to the 20 hectares of classic walks and French parterre gardens (a concept that originated in 15^th century Renaissance France) in which can be found a bronze dancing girl and two-metre tall horse figures.

An extremely rare and important 19^th century Japanese But Sudan-ki gold leaf Buddhist temple cabinet should really set the collector market buzzing when auctioneer Phil Caldwell climbs the podium from 11am Sunday October 23 to auction the contents of the beachfront home at 204 Esplanade, Brighton.

This is the first Caldwell auction for three months and features not only this deceased estate (belonging to a Russian immigrant engineer who migrated in the 1950s to Australia) but also three others.

Auctioneer Phil Caldwell describes his latest sale as a cross between a circus and a museum.

“The way the auction is arranged, everything is next to each other – from stuffed African animals to rare paintings to Chinese vases,” he said.

One of the reasons for the congestion is that there are so many items (more than 500) in the sale, which is being held from 11am Sunday May 29 at 239 Wickham Road, Moorabbin.

Related to the Russian imperial family and with ancestors who came to Australia after the 1917 Russian revolution, the vendors have lived at “Sark” 32A Hopetoun Road, Toorak for more than 15 years and in the general area for much longer than that.

Now they have decided to downsize and have asked auctioneer Phil Caldwell to auction the contents of their property on site from 11am on Sunday March 20.

Many of the items in this auction are unlikely to be for sale again.

A single engine Navion Rangemaster that, stuffed with hospital equipment, in 2000 flew an emergency aid mission to Dili in East Timor after the retreating Indonesian Army had stripped and ransacked homes and hospitals will be auctioned from 11am Sunday May 31 by auctioneer Phil Caldwell as part of a much bigger diverse and eccentric collection at 239 Wickham Road, Moorabbin.

An historically important piece of timber from Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson’s flagship at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, HMS Victory, will be a major highlight of auctioneer Phillip Caldwell’s first sale for the year from 11am Sunday March 6 at 239 Wickham Road, Moorabbin.

The piece, made of solid oak, is the port side knee brace for a cathead, used as part of the anchor mechanism.

It was one of the timbers replaced during significant ship repairs about 10 years ago in time for the Trafalgar 200 celebrations and released to help pay for the work.

High quality French and English antique furniture, a superb grand piano and important Australian art and jewellery are among items to be auctioned at auctioneer Phil Caldwell latest sale from 11am Sunday November 30 at 43 Clendon Road, Toorak.

The antique French furniture includes a pair of fine commodes, a gilt salon suite and boulle vitrine – while the art features works by Russell Drysdale, David Boyd, Hugh Sawrey, Gary Shead, Pro Hart, David Bromley, Ray Crooke, John Perceval, Fred Williams, Sidney Nolan and Charles Blackman.

A prominent Melbourne family involved in Australia’s jewellery industry is auctioning its large collection of antique furniture, porcelain, silver and collectibles through auctioneer Phillip Caldwell from 11am Sunday October 19 at 13 Gladstone Parade, Elsternwick.

Mr Caldwell first met the family about two years ago when asked to value the contents of its magnificent period home, which has now been sold.

He was immediately impressed with the quality of the furniture and collectibles, much of which had been collected during regular trips to New York, Europe and Asia.