BLOOMFIELD, N.J. — Nye & Company’s June Chic & Antique auction was conducted across two days, June 10 and 11. Making a splash on the first day and finishing as the top lot overall was a Chinese Qing dynasty China trade painting depicting the Hongs at Canton. This 37¼-by-63¼-inch framed oil on canvas was apparently unsigned, though bidding was strong across the phones and online platforms, according to firm president Andrew Holter. The view showed the American paddle steam vessel River Bird — which was known to travel from New York to China at a top speed of 18 knots (almost 21 miles per hour) — in the center, surrounded by an unusually busy scene of harborside factories, “the trading bases of Western merchants working in China,” as described by the catalog. The China trade scene saw heavy competition across the globe, ultimately selling to a buyer outside the US via the Nye & Company online platform for $156,250, including the buyer’s premium, far exceeding its modest $30/50,000 estimate. Further results from the Chic & Antique auction will be featured in an upcoming issue.
