Nye & Company Has Spring Auctions Slated: April 30, The Private Collection Of Susan Ely; And May 1-2

By Author: Andrew Holter
Total Articles: 579
Comment this article

This spring, Nye & Company Auctioneers is honored to present a truly exceptional series of auctions beginning Wednesday, April 30th, with Hunt, Heritage and Home: The Private Collection of Susan Ely, a magnificent, deeply personal offering from the Gladstone, N.J. area sporting art dealer whose passions and irrepressible spirit are reflected in every item.

Following the Ely Collection, Nye & Company will present a vibrant, two-day Chic and Antique Sale on Thursday and Friday, May 1st and 2nd, featuring a dynamic mix of traditional Americana, vintage charm and iconic modern design. The sale is officially titled Chic and Antique: A Celebration of Style Across the Centuries. Start times all three auction days are 10am Eastern.

“The Susan Ely auction is more than a sale—it’s a window into a life richly lived,” said Andrew Holter of Nye & Company Auctioneers. “With the air and elegance of a traditional English Country house, Ely’s collection is a tribute to the sporting life, fine craftsmanship, and the power of objects to hold memory and meaning.”

According to her son Tim, many of the ...
... things his mother valued in life were beautiful old antiques, baubles from friends and family, bronze statues, ribbons earned by her many terriers, and even a collection of ubiquitous red tail hawk feathers tucked neatly for display, camouflaged among her other treasures. The only things she held dearer than these inanimate objects, other than her dogs, were all of her friends and acquaintances.

Looking through the auction catalog for the Private Collection of Susan Ely is like stepping inside a storybook of English refinement and country elegance, beginning with the wonderful selection of sporting art and animal portraiture – beautifully rendered dog and horse paintings, evocative of quiet country mornings and windswept fields.

Bronze sculptures will include powerful, evocative pieces by Antoine-Louis Bayre (French, 1795-1875); Pierre-Jules Mêne (French, 1810-1879); and Charles Paillet (French, 1871-1937). Elegant smalls will feature exquisite and rare silver-mounted cowrie shells, Scottish ram's horn snuff boxes and hardstone boxes.

The silver category will be led by a breathtaking Tiffany & Co. “broom corn” cased silver flatware service, the very definition of heirloom quality. Fine English furniture will be anchored by a George II harlequin action triple-top games table, two Welsh dressers and more. Black Forest whimsy will include a pair of boldly carved, oversized Saint Bernard and Anchor lamps.

The sale also has a terrific selection of smalls, including silver-mounted cowrie shells, Scottish rams’ horn snuff boxes and hardstone boxes.

The May 1-2 Chic and Antique: A Celebration of Style Across the Centuries auction will be highlighted by the Wunsch Americana Foundation Collection – rare and museum-worthy pieces previously on loan to the Brooklyn Museum, including the following:

- A footed silver bowl by Myer Myers (N.Y., 1723-1795), the renowned colonial Jewish silversmith.

- A circa 1720 Boston silver tankard by Benjamin Hiller (1687-1745).

- Rare Roman glass, a German 17th/18th century glass pistol and Daumenglas with cover, and Potsdam glasses as well.

Folk art finds from a private New Jersey collection will feature painted boxes, fruit-form earthenware banks and a charming watchmaker’s trade sign. Historic drawings (in honor of Marquis de Lafayette’s 1825 U.S. tour) will include two pen-and-ink drawings and a bill of sale signed by Rembrandt Peale – a patriotic and artistic time capsule.

Mid-Century Modern magic will showcase items deaccessioned from the Madison Public Library, to include Warren Platner (American, 1919-2006) chairs and a table; two pairs of Eero Saarinen (Finnish-American, 1910-1961) “Womb” chairs for Knoll; and, from a private collection, Le Corbusier for Cassina LC7 swivel chairs and an LC10 glass-top dining table.

Southwestern and Western bronzes from a New Jersey collection will include dynamic works by Ken Payne (American, 1938-2012); Star Liana York (American, b. 1952); and Craig Bergsgaard (American, 20th/21st century).

Real-time Internet and absentee bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Bidsquare.com, BidSpirit.com, Drouot.com and the Nye & Company website: www.nyeandcompany.com. Telephone bidding is available on a limited basis.

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. For those who would like to inspect the items in person, a public exhibition and preview will be held April 21-25 and April 28-30, from 10am to 4pm Eastern time.

“This spring, come for the treasures—but stay for the stories,” Mr. Holter invited. “Whether you're drawn to the elegance of 18th-century silver, the nostalgia of folk art, or the bold lines of modern design, Nye & Company’s April and May auctions promise to inspire, surprise, and delight collectors of all stripes.”

For more information about the April 30 and May 1-2 auctions, or to request a complete catalog, please visit www.nyeandcompany.com or contact Nye & Company at (973) 984-6900.

About Nye & Company Auctioneers:
Nye & Company Auctioneers is a leading auction house specializing in fine art, antiques, and decorative arts. With a reputation for expertise, integrity, and excellent customer service, Nye & Company’s auctions have garnered attention from collectors, museums, and institutions worldwide. For over a decade, the auction house has been known for its exceptional offerings, including rare and important works of art, fine antiques, and Americana. For more information about Nye & Company Auctioneers, please visit www.nyeandcompany.com or contact Nye & Company at (973) 984-6900. The email address is info@nyeandcompany.com.

Media Contact:
Andrew Holter
Nye & Company Auctioneers
20 Beach Street
Bloomfield, NJ 07003 USA
973-984-6900
andrew@nyeandcompany.com
http://www.nyeandcompany.com