BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – Folks pouring into New York City for Americana Week beginning January 15th would be wise to consider sticking around for Nye & Company Auctioneers’ big Collectors’ Passion Auction planned for Wednesday, January 31st, online and at the firm’s showroom located at 20 Beach Street in Bloomfield. The sale will start at 10 am Eastern time.

At the very least, they could make a side trip while in New York (Bloomfield is just 15 miles outside the Lincoln Tunnel) for the gallery preview and exhibition, which runs Monday thru Friday, Jan. 22-26, from 10-4; and Sunday, January 28th, from 12 noon until 4 pm. An online preview and pre-bid will be ongoing, from January 16th thru 31st, at www.liveauctioneers.com.

The auction will be have several important highlights, including a superb collection of American and English furniture from a prominent estate in Mount Kisco, N.Y.; a fine collection of fresh-to-the-market American furniture from a collection in Princeton, N.J.; a highly curated collection of Neoclassical American furniture; and lovely American paintings out of a New York City estate.

“Even if Americana Week wasn’t scheduled just prior to our exhibition and auction, this would still be an auction worth traveling for,” said John Nye of Nye & Company Auctioneers. “It’s really a terrific sale, with many great items.” Mr. Nye added internet bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com and AuctionMobility.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

The artwork category will feature a liquitex on paper by American artist Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) of a nude female bust (est. $30,000-$50,000); an oil on board by William Aiken Walker (Am., 1839-1921), titled Fields, signed (est. $7,000-$10,000); and an oil on canvas bucolic landscape by Alexander Helwig Wyant (Am., 1836-1892), signed (est. 5,000-$10,000).

Additional artworks will include a watercolor on paper by John La Farge (Am., 1835-1910)

of a female holding a wreath (est. $5,000-$7,000); and an oil on canvas portrait of a cow by Rosa Bonheur (Fr., 1822-1899), artist signed (est. $2,000-$4,000). Lighting will feature a pair of 19th century French Charles X gilt bronze five-light candelabra, expected to gavel for $3,000-$5,000.

Furniture highlights will include a pair of Chippendale carved mahogany side chairs made circa 1770 and attributed to Thomas Tufft of Philadelphia; a Federal mahogany desk-and-bookcase, made circa 1800-1820 in Massachusetts with an Israel Sack, Inc. and C. K. Davis provenance (est. $5,000-$10,000); and a mixed metal Chinoiserie decorated “Chan” coffee table signed by mid-century modern designers Philip and Kelvin Laverne (est. $5,000-$10,000).

The fine furniture category continues with an early 19th century English Regency mahogany octagonal rent table (est. $3,000-$5,000); a late 17th century English fold-top credence table (est. $3,000-$5,000); a Queen Anne cherrywood slant-front desk-on-frame made in New Hampshire made between 1760-1780 and a Federal inlaid chest of drawers from North Carolina or Virginia.

Wonderful decorative items will feature a sterling silver and green hardstone-mounted double-handled vase made by Goudji (Fr., b. 1941), expected to bring $2,000-$4,000; another sterling silver animal-decorated vase by Goudji (est. 1,500-$2,500); and an elaborately inlaid and initialed English 18th century William and Mary hinged table-top box (est. $1,500-$3,000).

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 Collectors’ Passion Auction scheduled for Wednesday, January 31st, please visit www.nyeandcompany.com. The catalogue for the auction will be posted online, at nyeandcompany.com, starting on Tuesday, January 16th.