Nye & Company Will Auction Historical Artifacts From Rhode Island's Most Storied Families, Sep 10-11

By Author: Andrew Holter
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Nye & Company Auctioneers’ upcoming two-day sales event slated for Wednesday and Thursday, September 10th and 11th, will feature an extraordinary selection of property descended in and collected by the DeWolf, Herreshoff and Brown families of Rhode Island alongside Nye & Company’s signature Chic and Antique Estate Treasures auction.

This sale offers collectors, historians and connoisseurs an unprecedented opportunity to acquire objects with direct ties to some of New England’s most storied families—including John Brown, Nicholas Brown, Karl Friedrich Herreshoff, and their descendants through the DeWolf and Lewis families. All were key players in Rhode Island’s mercantile and maritime economies.

“Don’t miss this rare opportunity to acquire rare objects with direct ties to Rhode Island’s First Families,” said Andrew Holter of Nye & Company Auctioneers. “From Brown’s 18th-century carved furniture to Herreshoff maritime ephemera, these pieces are not just antiques—they are American history in tangible form.”

John Brown (1736–1803) was a pivotal figure in early American ...
... commerce and politics. He was a prominent Providence merchant, statesman, and a key founder of Brown University, which was named after his brothers. The Brown legacy was key to Rhode Island’s civic development and was intertwined with the Herreshoff family, known internationally for their maritime innovation.

The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, founded in the 19th century, revolutionized yacht design and engineering, producing America’s Cup winners and pioneering naval vessels. When Sarah Brown, the daughter of John Brown, married Karl Friedrich Herreshoff, it united two dynasties rooted in excellence—one in mercantile might and the other in nautical ingenuity.

Also tied into the lineage are the DeWolf and Lewis families, prominent in Bristol, Rhode Island. The DeWolfs, like the Browns, were key players in the state’s mercantile / maritime economies, with the Lewis family extending the legacy into later generations of collecting and preservation. It’s hard to overstate these families’ contributions to Rhode Island’s growth and development.

Star pieces in the September 10th sale include furnishings directly associated with John Brown. These include the John Brown Chippendale carved mahogany pole screen attributed to John Goddard (1724-1785), a noted cabinetmaker in colonial America; and the John Brown pair of circa 1880 white-painted bow-back brace-back upholstered Windsor side chairs labeled by James and William Ash (N.Y.).

Also offered from the John Brown collection will be a Chippendale mahogany and marble cross-stretcher slab table, made around 1770 in either Providence or Newport, Rhode Island; a circa 1770 diminutive Chippendale carved mahogany drop-leaf table, also attributed to Goddard; and Chinese Export pieces commissioned for the Brown family, decorated with the John Brown monogram.

From the Herreshoff lineage comes an impressive selection of historic oars, directly referencing the family's maritime and yacht-building legacy; and a terrific selection of furniture and decorations that shared history with the Brown family lines. Emilie Herreshoff, who started the tradition of displaying a public Christmas tree, factors into the auction with pieces she collected.

The September 11th Chic and Antique Estate Treasures Auction continues with a superb mix of early Americana and decorative arts from the 17th through the 20th centuries. Highlights include a Chippendale mahogany stop-fluted pier table, believed to have descended from Nicholas Brown or his daughter Hope Brown Ives (formerly a part of the renowned Joseph K. Ott Collection).

Also up for bid is a Queen Anne figured maple “Spanish foot” high chest (Philadelphia, circa 1750-1770); a rare silver Brandywine bowl by Henricus Boelen (N.Y., circa 1720), offered by the Wunsch Americana Foundation; a large selection of Whiting silverware in various patterns; Old Master drawings and paintings from private collections; and American folk art, including a fruit still life by Isaac Nutman (N.J., born 1801); an early painted overmantel; and portraiture.

Also featured is Part II of the Richard Welch Maritime Collection, offering an array of half-hull model ships, alongside maritime paintings from other private collections such as Antonio Jacobsen's rendering of the ship Comet and Clement Drew’s detailed ship portraiture.

For modern collectors, a select grouping of photographs by John Rooney and George Silk, depicting Muhammad Ali, offers a bold contrast to the antique offerings. Additionally, contemporary and modern furniture and artwork round out this robust and eclectic sale.

Start times for both auction days are 10am Eastern. A virtual catalogue is available online at www.nyeandcompany.com. In-person preview exhibitions will be held September 2-5 and September 8-10, from 10-4 each day, in the Bloomfield gallery located at 20 Beach Street.

To learn more, visit www.nyeandcompany.com. Updates are posted often.