English country house décor reigns at Nye & Co. April 15

Oil on canvas titled ‘Portrait of a Boy,’ English School, 19th century. Nye & Company Auctioneers image

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – An Estate Treasures Auction focusing primarily on English and American Furniture and the traditional collecting aesthetics will be conducted online Wednesday, April 15, by Nye & Company Auctioneers, at 10 a.m. Eastern time. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

“In accordance with the New Jersey State mandate, we can’t open our doors to the public,” said Andrew Holter of Nye & Company Auctioneers. “However, we plan to deliver clients a seamless online experience, one with accurate condition reports and images for all lots offered. The overall goal is to continue to deliver fine art and culture to our clients in a safe and socially distanced manner.”

The auction is headlined by property from a private New York City and Southampton, New York, collection. The collection reflects quintessential, with fabulous examples of George III and Regency furniture acquired from the top dealers, such as Hyde Park Antiques, Mallett, Philip Colleck and Clinton Howell Antiques & Fine Art.

Highlights include a Regency inlaid mahogany desk with paw feet, elegantly proportioned and ebony inlaid, standing proudly on paw feet; a Regency ebony inlaid and burr oak sofa table that would be the perfect centerpiece for any office or living room; and a Regency figured mahogany breakfast table with a top made from book-matched crotch mahogany.

Regency brass-mounted mahogany writing desk, English, early 19th century. Nye & Company Auctioneers image

If one’s tastes run along a more modern aesthetic and line, but still rooted in the classics, another lot to consider is a 1960s Philip and Kelvin Laverne mixed metal Romanesque low table. Decorated with classical Roman figures, this exceptional table is the perfect balance between the traditional and the modern.

Signed Philip and Kelvin Laverne low table, ‘Romanesque,’ decorated with Classical figures. Nye & Company Auctioneers image

Fine art enthusiasts will be delighted with the offerings. A superb painting from the estate of Ralph and Roberta Carpenter in Newport, Rhode Island, depicts the Venetian Canals and was likely painted by a follower of Johan Riechter in the 18th century. The painting is wonderfully detailed.

Oil on canvas depicting a Venice canal scene by a follower of Johan Richter, Italian School, 18th Century. Nye & Company Auctioneers image

From the same collection is a little jewel of a painting likely done by a follower of David Teniers. This work features figures in a marketplace and would be a perfect complement to the Laverne low table.

Oil on board titled ‘Peasants in a Market Scene’ by a follower of David Teniers, Flemish School, 17/18th century. Nye & Company Auctioneers image

The sale also features a monumental pair of Bizen Kara Shishi (temple lions) made by one of Japan’s leading artists working in the traditional Bizen techniques. Mori Togaku has been at the forefront of the Japanese art world for nearly 30 years. In fact, in 2001 Togaku was awarded the Japan Ceramic Society’s prestigious Gold Prize. He was the first Bizen potter to ever receive such a highly regarded award. The large-scale lions are superb representations of Shishi and could easily ward off evil spirits. The artist was able to capture the movement of the lions in a snapshot moment of time. The pair are muscular, tense and ready to protect.