Sawt Falasteen - Rich art: French pastry chefs auction chocolate sculptures

The Paris auction, organised by the pastry chef Pierre Herme, featured such whimsical creations as a chocolate clock, a bouquet of white chocolate roses and a monumental piece made of 495 chocolate eggs -- plus one of ritzy Daum crystal.

The event raised 108,100 euros ($125,500) for a charity that helps children hospitalised with leukaemia, according to auction house Artcurial.

It called the auction the first of its kind worldwide.

"This is truly a first," auctioneer Arnaud Oliveux told AFP.

The auction featured works by 25 celebrated pastry chefs, including Herme, Patrick Roger, Cyril Lignac, and Nina Metayer.

Many of the chefs paired their creations with one-of-a-kind experiences.

Herme's chocolate and crystal egg masterpiece, for example, came with a private lesson from the chef on making macarons, while a two-metre (six-foot-seven-inch) sculpture by Roger came with a tasting session with the master "chocolatier".

The auction house did not release the selling price for individual items.

The pieces are all edible, though the chefs created them to be displayed, said Herme.

"When you set your eyes on them, you don't feel like touching them because they're so visually magnificent," said Oliveux, calling top-level pastry creation "a kind of culinary art".

M.AbuKhalil--SF-PST