NEW YORK, NY.- The Merton D. Simpson Gallery of Tribal and Contemporary Art will conduct a special online auction, titled “Small and Beautiful Treasures,” on Saturday, Nov. 17, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live-bidding services for the sale.

The auction lineup features a highly refined selection of more than 30 objects from the traditional arts of Africa collected by Merton D. Simpson nearly 40 years ago. They include rare objects evoking prestige and power, such as a fine Yoruba ibeji and divination platter.

Established in 1954, Merton D. Simpson Gallery of African, Oceanic and Contemporary Art houses an extensive, museum-quality collection. The gallery has always taken a global approach and maintains an exciting inventory of painting, sculpture and decorative arts acquired through Simpson's travels and from a circle of knowledgeable, well-connected friends in all corners of the world.

Simpson was part of a global movement of artists coming of age in the mid-20th century. These artists, who included Romare Bearden and the Spiral Collective; Hale Woodruff, Willem de Kooning and Pablo Picasso, were heavily influenced by traditional works and art practices. Simpson assisted in cultivating these talents and the movement itself, both as a world-renowned philanthropist and collector, and as a fully involved hands-on artist.

With an eye considered second to none in his field, and with more than 50 years of successful business transactions with galleries in New York City and Paris, Merton D. Simpson is one of the most respected African and tribal art dealers in the world. The Merton D. Simpson Gallery of Tribal and Contemporary Art has been instrumental in helping individuals and institutions build comprehensive, culturally significant collections.

For additional information on any item in the Nov. 17 online auction, call the gallery at 212-686-6735 or e-mail mdsgallerynyc@gmail.com.