Ms. Meri Jaye was a renowned, San Francisco interior designer of passenger and cargo ships, as well as the corporate headquarters for American President Lines.

Ms. Jaye, who designed up on Lombard Street in San Francisco, CA, amassed a distinguished collection with a keen eye. She had a notable array of shipping related artwork, furnishings, ship models, and other artifacts related to the projects she worked on. Many of her pieces, acquired from reputable dealers in the 1960s and 1970s, haven’t been offered for sale in over 50 years. Property from the Meri Jaye estate will be offered in both The Maritime Sale on April 18th, and our Furniture, Art, Jewelry & Asian Auction on April 19th.

Pieces to be offered this April include a rare manuscript by Admiral Horatio Nelson, exquisite ship models, half-hull models, and unique nautical furnishings — like royal tiller yokes and ships’ tables. Among the treasures from her collection, we are thrilled to present a rare and breathtaking oil on canvas painting by the English-born American artist, Edward Moran (American/British, 1829–1901). Entitled New York Bay from the Battery, painted in 1871, this masterpiece is estimated to be valued between $20,000–$40,000. Moran began his artistic journey as an apprentice to landscape painter, Paul Weber in Philadelphia. He later established himself as a prominent marine artist in the United States, studying at the Royal Academy in London and setting up studios in Paris and New York City.

Arguably, Moran’s most significant contribution lies in his series of thirteen Marine History paintings, capturing pivotal moments in American maritime history. The featured work in our April sale provides a captivating glimpse of New York City’s harbor, with its intricate composition portraying two small boats navigating turbulent waves in the foreground, amidst a backdrop of numerous ships entering the harbor.

Another notable highlight from Ms. Jaye’s collection is a portrait miniature of Marie Antoinette by Pierre De Nolhac. It was published in London by Arthur L. Humphreys in 1905 and is valued between $600–$800. Other highlights include an HMS Bellerophon stern model in case with letter fragment stating that the model was made by a sailor on duty on the Bellerophon in 1815, estimated at $4,000–$6,000; and Don Quixote, printed by Don Joaquin Ibarra, estimated at $5,000–$7,000.