Timed online auction offers world treasures for Easter

A timed online auction ending from 7pm on Tuesday April 6 by Melbourne-based auction house Christian McCann Auctions and featuring antiques, art and decorative arts from Australia and overseas will keep collectors and first time auction goers busy over Easter.

Some of the more interesting items include a 19^th century French ormolu salon clock signed by Berthoud of Paris (lot 1) and a fine pair of 19^th century Chinese porcelain vases (lot 24), each with a $3000-$4500 catalogue estimate.

Other attractions are a 19^th century French candlesticks (lot 2), a 19^th century French rosewood singled door display cabinet (lot 12) and a 19^th century French boulle single door display cabinet.

Popular Australian artist Pro Hart features with his painting entitled Dragonfly (lot 7), while an original Andris Jansons work depicts figures by a waterfall (lot 6).

Unusual is a Japanese Meiji period (1868-1912) rosewood and ivory figure of a gentleman housed with rats in a lacquered temple (lot 11) and a 19^th century cushion front mirror (lot 8).

One of the more valuable lots is Australian artist David Boyd’s Kids at the Beach (lot 18) with an $18,000-$27,000 catalogue estimate.

An appealing item is a superb 19^th century French Sevres lidded jewel casket complete with hand painted romantic couple and gilt highlights (lot 20).

Intriguing is 19^th century French rouge marble clock with a central time piece and bronze urn (lot 17) designed by Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-192), a Frrench metalworker and manufacturer well-known as a bronze founder.

The son of a small Calvados farmer, Barbedienne began his career as a wallpaper dealer in Paris before in 1838 going into partnership with Achille Collas (1795-1859) who had just invented a machine to create miniature bronze statue replicas.

Together they started a business selling antique statue (taken from museums throughout Europe) miniatures – democratising art and making it more accessible to households.