MOUNT KISCO, NY.- What better way to start the new year off than with a bit of vintage? Long a source for notable estates in the area as well as from the Hamptons to Palm Beach, the Benefit Shop Foundation, Inc., continues to suss out fine goods, most with storied provenance.

Its Red Carpet auction on Wednesday, January 18, at 10 am is no exception. On offer will be all manner of interesting items and collectibles to appeal to buyers of all tastes from traditionalists to vintage and modern aficionados. Glass lovers will admire the collection of Fostoria while bibliophiles will pore over signed limited editions. Designer fashion and luxury goods are overflowing in this sale. Among several fine estates feeding this auction is former US ambassador to Poland Georgette Mosbacher’s uptown New York City apartment.

“This auction truly runs one end of the spectrum to another,” said Pam Stone, owner and founder of The Benefit Shop Foundation, Inc. “We have designer luxury items from Hermes, Cartier, Lalique, Dunhill, and Burberry and a lot of like-new designer men’s clothing from a top New York surgeon’s estate with names like Gucci, Fendi, Dunhill, and Brunelleschi Cucinelli Bergdorf cashmere.” She also said the auction has a wealth of decorative arts offerings (with a nice grouping of smalls by Tiffany) and interior designer-quality pieces as well as antique to contemporary furniture. Artwork also runs the gamut from antique oil paintings to contemporary artists.

No major collecting category is spared here and given the enduring popularity of Midcentury Modern, it’s little surprise that this sale features MidMod furniture and decor. Milo Baughman is a desirable name to collectors and crossing the block will be two furniture offerings from the renowned designer: an 855 Design Classic sofa by Baughman for Thayer Coggin in powder white fabric and polished stainless steel legs, having a conservative $100-400 estimate, and a pair of his Draper chairs, also for Thayer Coggin ($500-2,000) with a custom fabric, barrel backrests and carved walnut frames.

Furniture can be a finicky market but notable and unique items do well and this sale offers a three-drawer charcoal gray shagreen style desk with a glass topper ($100-500), retaining a label underneath reading “PALECEK AVALON,” 30 by 43 by 20 inches. An unusual piece of home decor is the custom skull chair having a sequined skull ($50-200) inset in the light purple upholstery. Both the desk and chair were originally purchased from Ankasa. More traditional is an 18th Century tall case clock with an oak case ($500-2,000), standing 82 inches tall.




This auction covers the breadth of the collecting spectrum. From a book lover’s library comes a signed limited edition copy of Slaughterhouse-Five ($100-500) by Kurt Vonnegut, hardbound in leather with gilt decoration, while another fine estate yields an authentic Verdi musical composition lithograph ($1/4,000), signed and featuring nine bars on three stages of the opening of Henri’s aria, La brise souffle au loin, from Act V of Les Vepres Siciliennes. The framed composition retains a label from historical documents dealer, Kenneth W Rendell Gallery.

Fine art offerings are also quite diverse, leaning slightly toward Modern with paintings from well known artists. On offer is a Karel Appel gouache of an abstracted figure ($500-5,000); the artist’s bold and colorful works are highly prized today. Also a master of color is Helen Frankenthaler and a signed numbered edition of hers ($500-5,000) depicts an abstract image with green and yellow swaths against a cerulean background. For the fashionista who wants to take wearable art to the next level, crossing the block is a silk scarf depicting Picasso’s painting, “Jacqueline with flowers” ($200-2,000).

Glass enthusiasts will find many sparkling lots, such as a two-handled Baccarat opaline and pink overlay crystal ice pail ($500-3,000) from the second half of the 19th century, etched with Bacchic figures, 10 inches tall. Five lots of blue Fostoria coin glass bowls, having scalloped edges, will also be on offer.

Sterling silver will also shine bright in the sale, with expected highlights to include a John & William Deakin, England, sterling silver tea service set for four with footed teapot and coffee pot, footed creamer and a sugar cube bowl, conservatively estimated at $100-250.

A small but fine selection of Oriental rugs will come from a Manhattan surgeon’s estate, led by a room-size antique Persian wool rug having multi-hued floral detail, a Konya Ladik handmade fringe wool rug with blue background and cream/maroon details, and a Chinese Art Deco rug.

Rounding out the auction are several items that were already attracting much early online bidding in the weeks leading up to the sale, including a Hermes Birkin style bag in a desirable orange leather with bidding already over estimate, and a 103-piece set of sterling silverware in box (most inscribed Birks sterling) that bidders already pushed to $1,200. Also crossing the block is a colorful and vintage beaded wood mask, signed and hand made, measuring about 11½ by 5½ inches.

Monthly Red Carpet sales here feature choice collections of antique, Midcentury Modern, brand furnishings, sterling, china, crystal, jewelry and fine art. With a mission of “to donate, to discover and to do good,” the foundation is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit and auction proceeds support community organizations. Consignors get a tax deduction, the buyer gets a great deal and local non-profits get much needed funds.