BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – An Estate Treasures Auction highlighted by a large and varied collection of silver and carpets from the collection of Myrna and Bernard Posner is slated for Wednesday, July 31, by Nye & Company Auctioneers. Just under 700 lots will come up for bid. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.
Starting in the 1950s, Bernard and Myrna Posner had an avid interest in sterling silver and works of art. Their tastes ranged from pieces that were American and British to ones that were Chinese, Australian and Southeast Asian. Their silver collection consisted of objects that crossed all time periods and varied from decorative objects to utilitarian pieces. Some of it was bought overseas.
“Their pride in their collection was evident whenever anyone visited their home,” said a close friend of the couple and a collector. “The pieces were there to be seen and enjoyed. When something new was added to the collection, it was like adding a member to their family. Bernie especially loved researching each new piece to determine the maker, date, country of origin and original use of the piece. The more unusual the item was, the more Bernie liked it.”
The sale also features a nice selection of fine and decorative arts, such as an early 20th century Marcus Charles Illions carved carousel horse (above) and fine art from artists such as John Frederick Kensett, Raphael Soyer and Roy Lichtenstein. The furniture is diverse, spanning several centuries of craftsmanship and will be sure to please designers, collectors and trade alike. There is also an outstanding selection of garden statuary.
The early 20th century Marcus Charles Illions & Sons (Coney Island, N.Y) carved carousel horse is one of the most intriguing lots in the auction. Crafted in 1915 and carrying a minimum bid of $1,500, the jeweled jumper has an overall height of 5 feet 11 inches and boasts a characteristic flowing mane, deep-set eyes, well-carved saddles, saddle flap and blanket.
Star lots from the Posner collection will include a five-piece Danish parcel gilt silver tea and coffee service (below) with the mark of David Andersen, Copenhagen, and a total weight of about 85 troy ounces (minimum bid: $1,500); and a Qashqa’I pictorial Persian rug, handmade around 1910, 7 feet 1 inch by 4 feet 3 inches and with an indigo field showing Rustam fighting a lion (minimum bid: $1,500).
Original oil paintings will feature an oil on canvas by Raphael Soyer (American, 1899-1987), titled Reclining Woman, signed lower left and 17½ inches by 23½ inches (minimum bid: $5,000); and a late 17th or early 18th century Italian School work done in the manner of Luca Giordano, titled Adoration of the Magi, inscribed “G. Pirrani” and 36½ inches by 26½ inches (minimum bid: $2,000).
A rare and important Four Seasons quilt beautifully rendered around 1840 by Jane Ann Bidwell (Jersey City, N.J., 1799-1865) has a minimum bid of $2,000. The quilt, which measures 80 inches by 88 inches, displays profuse applique and broderie perse decoration. Many of the techniques used in the assembly of this remarkable quilt relate strongly to some of the best quilts from the same period.
A carved marble sculpture of Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, from the 19th or 20th century after Antonio Canova (Italian, 1757-1822), on a custom-built painted wood stand, overall 41½ inches, has a minimum bid of $3,500. Also, a late 19th century French painted cast-iron figure of a woman with an urn, labeled “Val d’Osne” and 52 inches tall, carries a minimum bid of $400.
A late 18th century English George III brass inlaid satinwood console, measuring 33 inches tall by 60 inches by 21 inches deep, has a minimum bid of $1,400. Also, a late 18th century English George III mahogany tall-case clock, the dial signed “Parker Liverpool,” standing approximately 97 inches tall by 23 inches wide, has a minimum bid of $1,000.
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