Figurative Fine Art, Coin-Op, Bronzes At Benefit Shop Foundation March 13

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc will present an auction designed to tantalize buyers with powerful and figurative artworks as well as intricately carved sculpture and bronzes and noteworthy lots across the board, ranging from farm tables to slot machines, on Wednesday, March 13, at 10 am.

The sale is primarily driven by a Greenwich, Conn., and Palm Beach, Fla., estate where the collectors had a good eye for fine art, design, bronze smalls and much more. Several other choice local estates round out the auction, which comprises furniture, painting, Asian art and antiques, bronzes, sculpture, coin-op, pottery, inkwells and scales, decorative accessories and more.

“These collectors split their time between two homes and furnished both with wonderfully vivid paintings that practically have the subjects leaping off the canvas as well as statement pieces and antiques of the finest taste,” said Pam Stone, owner and founder of The Benefit Shop Foundation.

Fine art will dominate with a robust selection of colorful and striking paintings from the Greenwich-Palm Beach estate, led by an Itzchak Tarkay (1935–2012) signed painting on canvas ($16/20,000) depicting a woman sitting next to a table with fruit and flowers, 50 by 47 inches. A Peter Max acrylic on canvas painting, “Liberty Head” ($8/16,000), 16 inches square, is signed and professionally framed in a gold-toned shadow box frame.

A pioneer of the hybrid art form — the action-painted portrait — Andrew Baird is a gestural action painter who flings or drips paint onto canvas. He is represented in the sale with “Jezebel,” an acrylic on canvas ($5/8,000), 46½ by 51 inches, professionally framed on gold/ silver leaf wood frame.

An expected top lot among paintings is this signed Itzchak Tarkay (1935–2012) work on canvas ($16/20,000) depicting a woman sitting next to a table with fruit and flowers.

A Watling 1-cent Blue Seal Baby twin slot machine ($1,5/3,000) has an Art Decoinspired front casting with twin jackpot and gumball banks.

This powerfully sculpted and large bronze Buddha head on metal stand ($500/1,000) measures 16 by 9 inches.

This antique English oak folding top dining table ($3/6,000) has leaves that fold up to form a buffet/sideboard or down to make a dining table.

From the same estate comes a Kim Schuessler signed splatter overlay acrylic artwork, “Fleur de Lis Jacket With Orange Pants” ($1/3,000), which depicts two standing figures, 51 by 27 inches tall.

Along with fine art are a number of standout pieces including an antique French railway carriage station rack with mirrored back ($1/3,000), 78 by 80 by 15 inches. Eminently suitable for today’s dining room is an antique English oak folding top farm-style table ($3/6,000) with turned legs and joined by two stretchers. Purchased from Howard Kaplan Antiques in New York, the table measures 91 by 33 by 29½ inches.

Vintage gaming and coin-op machines highlights include a Watling Baby Twin Jackpot Torch vendor front 1-cent slot machine ($1,5/3,000). This gooseneck bell, three-reel slot machine was made by Watling in the late 1920s-early 1930s and has an Art Deco-inspired front casting with twin jackpot and gumball banks, 23 by 15½ by 15 inches, not including the 33-inch-tall stand. Also crossing the block are a circa 1940s Challenger coin-operated arcade shooting game ($200-400) by the A.B.T. Manufacturing Co of Chicago, with striking graphics to the metal and wooden case.

Bronzes and sculpture threedimensional art highlights include a room-sized abstract white marble disk sculpture ($1/2,000) on black marble base and separate rectangular black stand. Among the great diversity of bronzes, from sculptures to candelabra and candlesticks to lamps, is a bronze Gates of Promise figure ($200/400) by Demetre Chiparus on marble base with brass plaque, 26 by 18 by 9 inches.

Asian art is always a big draw, and this auction boasts ceramics, watercolors, vases and more, including a large and impressive bronze Buddha head on metal stand ($500/1,000), 16 by 9 inches, and a vintage pair of bronze smiling Buddha figurals ($100/200) 7 by 3 inches. Rounding out this category are a set of three signed Chinese ceramic musician figurines ($100/300) playing the drum, hand cymbals and flute and an Asian carved soapstone sculpture on stand ($200/400), 8½ by 12 by 2 inches, depicting foo dogs with puppies guarding baskets.

A veritable Noah’s Ark of animalistic smalls will also cross the block, led by several big cats: a majestic bronze sculpture of a lion posed ferociously and snarling ($300/600) having a pleasing brown patina, 13 by 9 by 3 inches; a roaring tiger bronze sculpture ($100-250), 13½ by 6 inches; a Lalique France frosted cut crystal lion figure ($300/600); and a Lalique France ambertoned cut crystal leopard ($300/500).

Benefit Shop galleries are at 185 Kisco Avenue, Suite 201. For more information, 914-864-0707 or www.thebenefitshop.org.