Outstanding antiques and art on offer at Australian auction

For anyone looking for quality antiques and fine art, from 12pm Saturday October 22 and Sunday October 23 Melbourne-based Christian McCann Auctions will be auctioning a comprehensive array of more than 1000 items at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford.

Unbelievable 18th and 19^th century French and English antique furniture is on offer along with outstanding French and English porcelain that includes such quality makers as Sevres, Meissen, Wedgwood, Derby and Worcester.

Of particular note among the furniture is a 19^th century French serpentine shaped, two-door kingwood salon cabinet with hand painted veni-martin panels showing a noble lady and gent in a landscape (lot 45).

Another is an exhibition quality 19^th century French kingwood seven-drawer bureau plait with black leather top insert (lot 59) and an outstanding pair of 19^th century French carved giltwood bergeres (lot 164).

Lot 180 is an exhibition quality 19^th century French four-door breakfront credenza with silver and brass inlay.

While there are several top quality porcelain pieces, none is more impressive than a magnificent pair of Derby floral encrusted vases with cobalt under glaze complete with enamelled and gilt decoration (lot 63).

Several works by iconic Australian artists such as Arthur Boyd, Hans Heysen, Pro Hart, Hugh Sawrey join an array of 19^th century English paintings and fine antique marble and bronze sculptures by renowned artists.

Boyd’s Lovers in a Boat c1994 (lot 50), John Coburn’s Fan Fair (lot 177) and Pro Hart’s Outback Town 1974 (lot 209) are typical of the paintings on offer, while a 19^th century French bronze figure showing a dancing maiden (lot 51) is particularly appealing.

The sculpture is by 19^th century Belgian sculptor Dominique van den Bossche (1854-1906) whose work has been offered at auction many times in the past.

Another interesting bronze is a cold painted figure of a native American riding a horse (lot 666).

Antiques clocks are a further attraction with a superb 19^th century French gilt bronze salon clock mounted by a cherub and with hand painted Sevres panels (lot 44) typical of the quality on offer.

The auction also contains a collection of Japanese Meiji period (1868-1912) Satsuma and Chinese porcelain and furniture with English sterling silver and chandeliers another drawcard.