BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – Nye & Company Auctioneers’ two-day, online Chic and Antique Estate Treasures auction slated for Wednesday and Thursday, December 15th and 16th at 10 am Eastern, will be headlined by property from a private New York City collection, the NAMITS collection and a large selection of lovely studio ceramics from the collection of Steve and Stephanie Alpert. 

The auction will offer a variety of fine and decorative arts with a concentration on sporting art, ceramics, silver and jewelry. Real time Internet bidding and absentee bidding will be provided by the platforms LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Bidsquare.com and the Nye & Company website: www.nyeandcompany.com. Telephone bidding will also be available on a limited basis.

“This auction is going to be a special sale and is perfectly timed to pick up a fantastic treat for the holidays,” said Andrew Holter of Nye & Company Auctioneers. “It’s a curated selection of property from private collections, with an emphasis on American and European furniture, sporting art, studio ceramics, contemporary and modern art, silver and fine estate jewelry.” 

Mr. Holter added, “The studio ceramics from the Alpert collection is one of the auction’s major expected headliners.  The Alperts are exceptional patrons of the arts.  Their collection is wide in scope and deep in categories and is well balanced between both American and European artists.”

The sale features an exceptional ceramic bust titled Erupt by celebrated ceramist Ken Little. His work can be found in institutions such as the Crocker Museum of Art, the Blanton Museum of Art, the Hawaii State Art Museum and the Museum of Arts and Design.  The Polish-born artist Victor Spinski is also well represented in the collection.  His trompe l’oeil works are a delight to experience both visually and tactilely. His 1994 Garbage Can is exceptional in scale and quality.

Another Spinski work from 1994, Box of Bones, is the type of piece that can be found in one of the many public collections housing his work, is such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Detroit Institute of Arts and others. Lizbeth Stewart, David Furman, Warren Mackenzie, Michael Cleff, Joe Mariscal and Ken Ferguson are also in the sale.   

For those who are looking to acquire something shiny and bright for the holidays, the auction offers a magnificent selection of estate jewelry. Of particular note are three exceptional rings. One is a platinum diamond and ruby three-stone ring; another is an emerald and diamond ring; and finally, a cornflower blue sapphire and diamond ring. For those who prefer more whimsical pieces, there is a delightful Tiffany & Company diamond, platinum and gold frog form brooch.

Decorative arts will include a set of dining chairs from the well-known East Hampton, New York estate Grey Gardens, owned by Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale.  The chairs were part of a highly publicized 2017 estate sale.  The Beales and Grey Gardens were the subject of an acclaimed 1975 documentary, a 2006 Broadway musical and a 2009 TV movie.

Also from Long Island is an early 18th century lift-top chest over drawers with ball feet and blue-green paint and a similarly painted blue green lift-top blanket chest. For those who prefer more formal furniture, there is a Georgian serpentine front sideboard from the estate of Mimi Adler.  Additional property from the collection includes a number of Irish Georgian glass chandeliers.

The auction also features a wide range of fine art.  A New York city gentleman is selling his collection of sporting art, which has a heavy concentration of dog paintings from the 18th century through present day.  Artists include Edwin Henry Landseer, Samuel Spode, Henry Crowther and William Skilling. Landseer’s triple dog portrait, in particular, is a splendid canine picture.

Another private collector is offering a John Stobart en grisaille work titled Into the Gale Reefing the Main.  It’s a powerful reminder of how domineering Mother Nature can be on the high seas.

For fans of contemporary art, the NAMITS Collection features a painting by the celebrated French artist Francois Bard. His portrait bust of a man is filled with frenetic energy and textured paint strokes, making it both mysterious and a visual delight. The collection also features three separate paintings from the celebrated self-taught/outsider artist Purvis Young (Fla., 1943-2010). 

There is also a 1980s subway drawing by Keith Haring.  Additional street art is in the sale. There is a nice representation of graffiti art by artists such as Michael “Tracy 168”, Nick Salsa and Johnny “Crash” Matos, bringing an Eighties modern aesthetic to the auction.  If you prefer mid-century modern, there is a bold and colorful circa 1955 Rolph Scarlett checkerboard painting.

People can bid in absentia and online. An online preview is being held now through December 15th and 16th at www.nyeandcompany.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. Anyone looking for additional images, condition reports or info about an object is invited to visit the Nye & Company website or send an email to info@nyeandcompany.com.   

John Nye had a long and fruitful career at Sotheby’s before he and his wife, Kathleen, acquired Dawson’s in 2003 and started Dawson & Nye. With the move to Bloomfield seven years later, they renamed the business to Nye & Company (Auctioneers, Appraisers, Antiques). The firm is nationwide, but the vast bulk of the business comes from trusts and estates in the tri-state area.

For more information about Nye & Company Auctioneers and the Chic and Antique Estate Treasures online-only auction on Wednesday and Thursday, December 15th and 16th, please visit www.nyeandcompany.com. The full color catalog with all lots can be viewed in its entirety right now, at nyeandcompany.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com.

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