A 1903 Robert Prenzel blackwood settle and three panels is a major highlight of E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming special two-day sale from 11am Saturday December 5 and Sunday December 6 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

Each panel is finely carved in the Gothic Renassance style with Gryphons and the centre panel depicts foliage with the relief carved inscription ‘Salve’.

Another Prenzel panel features a lorikeet on an Australian native gum tree branch and was purchased by the Black family from his workshop and installed as part of a homestead fireplace at Tarwin Meadows.

A 1903 Robert Prenzel blackwood settle and three panels is a major highlight of E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming special two-day sale from 11am Saturday December 5 and Sunday December 6 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

Each panel is finely carved in the Gothic Renassance style with Gryphons and the centre panel depicts foliage with the relief carved inscription ‘Salve’.

Another Prenzel panel features a lorikeet on an Australian native gum tree branch and was purchased by the Black family from his workshop and installed as part of a homestead fireplace at Tarwin Meadows.

With Christmas just around the corner, Philips Auctions final decorative arts sale for the year features a plethora of items that would make ideal presents for family and friends.

The auction, from noon Sunday December 6 at 47 Glenferrie Road Malvern, features quality items from a Melbourne philanthropist that include a stunning French commode, ormolu pier table, two vitrines and porcelain by Royal Worcester, Dresden and Limoge such as lemon and pink eggs and vases by Grainger & Co and Royal Dux.

Works from several family collections highlight Deutscher and Hackett’s forthcoming Important Fine Art and Aboriginal Art Sydney auction from 7pm Wednesday December 2 at Cell Block Theatre, National Art School in Forbes Street, Darlinghurst.

The first 20 lots belong to Sydney’s Ure Smith family and are of great historical significance.

First time art buyers would be well served checking out Leonard Joel’s fine art sale from 6.30pm Tuesday December 1 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra when 265 paintings will be auctioned – many of them carrying estimates of $1000-$2000.

The paintings cover different periods in Australian art history – from colonial to modern and even some contemporary.

Typical of paintings in this estimate range is Danila Vassilieff Street Scene 1934 (lot 6) and Rubery Bennett’s Rippling Melodies (lot 16).

Christian McCann Auctions final sale for 2015 – from noon Sunday December 6 at 426 Burnley Street, Richmond – caps off a highly successful year for the auction house.

This last auction will offer what auctioneer Christian McCann describes as “without doubt the finest French furniture on the open market, superb French antique porcelain, Australian art, antique clocks and antique bronze sculptures – and should not be missed by any serious collector”.

Those devotees who refined their game skills in a pub have the opportunity to pick up a pool table at auction this week when Abbeys Auctions weekly sale items go under the hammer from 9am Friday November 27 at 482A Station Street, Box Hill.

The auction also contains a sauna (a must for those trying to shed a few kilograms), tools, surplus party stock and a left-handed Washburn guitar. 

One of Melbourne’s oldest auction houses will hold its last sale on Friday December 18.

Young’s Auctions, at 229 Camberwell Road, East Hawthorn, was established in 1930 by Ernie Young and for the past 85 years has been holding weekly sales – almost without interruption.

Ernie was succeeded in the 1960s by his son Bill, and current family members – brothers David and Ian – have been respectively running the business since 1986 and 1991.

The resurgence of buyer interest in emerald jewellery will be tested when Leonard Joel holds its forthcoming jewels auction from 6pm Monday November 30 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra.

Joel’s confidence is reflected in the featuring of an art deco style Colombian emerald and diamond bracelet (lot 205) on the auction catalogue front cover.

Other noteworthy pieces are a 4.99-carat Colombian emerald and diamond ring and a Colombian emerald and diamond suite comprising, ring, earrings and pendant (lot 145) with a catalogue estimate of $80,000-$120,000.

Several important paintings by iconic Australian artists are expected to generate strong buyer interest at Sotheby’s Australia forthcoming Important Australian Art sale from 6.30pm Tuesday November 24 at the InterContinental Sydney 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney.

One is Arthur Boyd’s Sleeping Bride, which has been tightly held in the same collection for almost 50 years.

The painting forms part of Boyd’s extraordinary “Love Marriage and Death of a Half-Caste” series whose themes were later extended to the “Bride” works.