The first sale on 3 December is an unreserved sale from a deceased collector who bequeathed her collection to Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
This auction comprises a collection of around 360 lots including Royal Doulton Series Ware, silver perfume bottles, wooden boxes and cabinets, and furniture including stacking bookcases and small wooden filing cabinets.
The Doulton Series Ware represents one of the most extensive collections ever seen in Melbourne.
There is so much Royal Doulton Series Ware that each lot will include up to 6 individual items.
Particularly sought after by collectors, are the rare Famous Ships series of which there are around 25 items in the sale, and Ainger's expects overseas bidding for these lots.
From another estate, also being sold to benefit the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre are 20 Hermes scarves and an 18ct gold watch
The following day, December 4, Aingers will offer another deceased estate, the collection of Trevor Willey who was a Melbourne collector with a discerning eye for the unusual, beautiful and rare in decorative works of art, antiques, scientific instruments and many other fields of collecting.
According to Trevor's son, Nigel, "my late father Trevor Willey was exceptional in his passion and interest for antiques and Vintage Sports Cars with a very discerning eye for the unusual, beautiful and rare in decorative works of art, scientific instruments plus many other fields of collecting."
Nigel recounts accompanying his father to meet his collector friends, "view their fabulous collections and sit in on the long, tedious, sometimes boring negotiations, to acquire new pieces for Dads collection. We visited many antique shops, and went to auctions including Kent Antiques (from which the William Johnston Collection was formed), Caldwells, Acorn Antiques, Leonard Joel and Sotheby's, the latter of whom wanted to appoint Dad as an advisor in scientific instruments".
Included in the sale are two items purchased from the late William (Bill) Johnson) of Kent Antiques formerly the property of an Indian maharajah: a regulator clock and bookcase whose history dates back to the Cossimbazar Palace, in the late 1700’s when Warren Hastings was the first Governor General of India.
Also included in his sale are some items from the estate of Norma Lech, former proprietor of Crest antiques in Balwyn. The names Norma Lech and her son Michael are synonymous with fine quality antiques and for many years they purchased some of the most prestigious antiques offered in Melbourne salerooms and sold them through their shop.
The Norma Lech section of the sale includes a pair of mid-Victorian Gothic revival mahogany hall chairs, a fine quality Victorian Coalbrookdale cast iron hallstand together with a fern pattern garden seat and chair, each with a registration mark, and a set of 13 George III silver dinner plates dated London 1803.
Norma was a keen collector and dealer in Royal Worcester, and the sale includes a Royal Worcester vase painted with two birds of paradise by Reginald Harry Austin, a Royal Worcester vase and cover painted by William Jarman and a large jardinière painted by Albert Shuck.
The final Ainger's sale in this group of three will offer the Neil Smyth collection, to be offered on site at St Kilda St, Brighton on 10 of December.
The sale includes an early Australian red river cedar wardrobe and an 18th century mahogany serving table.
The family has retained some items from the home and these have been replaced with some notable outside lots including a blackamoor figure and other fine French furniture.
As well, the sale includes beautiful and rare decorative works of art including the works of Australian artist Robert Johnson, James Jackson and Allan Bernaldo with a wide range collection of European art.