BLOOMFIELD, N.J. - Nye & Company’s Wednesday, December 11th Estate Treasures Auction is bursting at the seams with nearly 800 lots of fine and decorative arts, so it will be split into two parts. A live auction, starting at 10 am Eastern, offers online, phone and in-person participation. Part II begins at 3 pm as an online-only format; bidding is available via LiveAuctioneers.com.

Part I will be held online and in the Nye & Company gallery at 20 Beach Street in Bloomfield. “Our Estate Treasures Auction is a unique blend of traditional and contemporary furniture, fine and decorative arts,” said company president John Nye. “It is sure to please the connoisseur right down to the homeowner just looking to furnish their home with fine objects that excite the eye.”

As a matter of fact, Nye said, the offering feels inspired by At Home With .... Inside the Iconic Space of Bill Blass. “From the busts of emperors and kings to the bronzes of Trajan's Column, Sphinxes and Classical fragments,” he said, “the table top accessories are accented by antique guns and swords. Numerous cannons sit atop Neoclassical style furniture of Continental design.”

The auction pays homage to the man who is credited with designing some of the most pleasing interiors in America and is anchored by a large-format KPM porcelain plaque inspired by Peter Paul Rubens’s (Flemish, 1577-1640) 17th century painting Caccia al Leone (“The Lion Hunt”). The late 19th or early 20th century plaque was finely painted and signed by A.L. Eckart (Dresden) and measures 11 ½ inches by 14 ½ inches (sight). It’s impressed with the KPM mark on verso.

The original painting by Rubens is in the permanent collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany. Additionally, a painted study on wood made by Rubens is now in the collection of the National Gallery in London. Rubens supposedly drew his inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci's fresco The Battle of Anghiari, which was destroyed in 1557.

A private collection from Westchester County, New York features a great deal of sterling silver and fine art. Reed and Barton, Gorham, Wallace and Tiffany are just a few of the makers. Of note are Tiffany's Persian and Chrysanthemum flatware patterns. Several oil and watercolor paintings depict bucolic New England landscapes and there are lovely portraits as well. The decorative arts include a Gothic desk garniture, a cast bronze polar bear cigar cutter and more.

Another private Westchester County collection offers a broad and diverse selection of vibrantly colored and designed Majolica jardinières, perfect for brightening up any home or collection.

Also offered will be Part IV of the Myrna and Bernard Posner collection of silver and objets de vertu, featuring a selection of sterling silver jewelry and a Tiffany & Company monogrammed belt buckle. The Posners’ silver collection consisted of objects that crossed all time periods and varied from decorative objects to more utilitarian pieces. Also sold will be some of the English and French case furniture the Posners utilized to contain and display their extensive holdings. 

Additional consignments include Baroque style center tables, Georgian furniture, pewter and brass candlesticks, traditional rugs and contemporary upholstered seating furniture in traditional styles. The accessories are numerous and varied, with plenty of items that will be sure to catch the eye, notably the pebble-and-turtleback-glass window fitted as a side table attributed to Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company.

In-person gallery previews will be held weekdays (Dec. 2-10) from 10-4 Eastern; and on Sunday, December 8th, from 12 noon to 4 pm. Folks can bid in person, by phone, in absentia and online. An online preview will be held Nov. 27-Dec. 11 at www.nyeandcompany.com. All lots can be previewed on LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Phone and absentee bids are accepted.

Nye & Company Auctioneers recently launched its new updated website (nyeandcompany.com). It allows clients to bid directly on the site, simplifying and streamlining the process. The site also offers more access to the bidders, with online forms and pre-formatted inquiry forms. Of course, clients are still able to use the two popular platforms LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.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 Estate Treasures Auction slated for Wednesday, December 11th, visit www.nyeandcompany.com. Updates posted often.