Eclecticism On Tap July 10 At Benefit Shop Foundation

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — At the Benefit Shop Foundation’s Red Carpet auction on Wednesday, July 10, at 10 am, designers, decorators and collectors with a keen eye for good design will find a variety of items that suit their fancy — everything from a Birkin bag in orange leather to Eames midcentury furniture and much more.

“We really are focusing on eclectic collecting this month, with some choice pieces that were just given to us from several local estates,” said Pam Stone, owner and founder of the Benefit Shop Foundation. “It’s always fun to come into work because you literally never know what will show up that day, and we enjoy sharing that excitement with our buyers.” Unusual lots highlighting the auction will feature a custom Versace bed frame replica ($5/10,000) created by an artisan metalworker in Maine. Crafted from iron, bronze and brass, it features an exact detailing of a Medusa head, framing snakes, Greek key design and originally cost $40,000. Measuring 70 by 82 inches, this one-of-a-kind piece includes the footboard and headboard and weighs several hundred pounds. Another striking item for the home is an antique floor-size Nuremberg folk art angel ($300/600) in carved and painted wood, having tin wings with platforms on which to rest candles, 39½ inches tall.

Named for style icon Jane Birkin, Hermès’ classic Birkin bag with its distinctive tote-like silhouette is represented with an example in orange Togo leather with gold toned metal clasps, lock and key, 13 by 16 by 7 inches ($500-$1,500).

Designer names will be wellrepresented — from Hermes to Tiffany. A Tiffany & Co antique brass wardroom ship’s bell clock ($1/3,000), from the office of a Fortune 500 company chief executive officer, serial number 130330, is an expected standout. Possibly from the early Twentieth Century, the clock measures 16½ inches in diameter at the base.

A custom Versace bed frame replica ($5/10,000) made by an artisan metalworker in Maine.

This Hermès Birkin bag ($500-$1,500) is in orange Togo leather with gold-toned metal clasps, lock and key.

Anyone looking to jazz up their home will take note of a pair of Reed & Barton ornate silvertoned candelabras ($150-300) with three arms, measuring 16 by 15 by 8 inches; a pair of Asian celadon lidded ginger jars ($400/800) with floral and leaf detail, Asian characters and lids having dragon detail, 12 inches tall; and a pair of antique wooden converted window mirrors ($300-600) having beveled antique mirror panels. Each is cream-toned with carved wooden detail, 65 by 42 inches.

A fitting place to start with any decorating project is the floor, and this auction features several choice carpets, including an antique handmade Kerman wool rug ($4/6,000) with a multi-toned floral, leaf and vine detail pattern in shades of light blue, beige and navy, 190 by 109 inches, and a Farahan room-size handmade Oriental carpet ($2/4,000) measuring 8 feet, 1 inch by 11 feet, 4 inches. The latter was originally purchased from Safavieh.

Midcentury Modern is represented in this auction with several singular examples by Herman Miller, led by a platform bench ($300/600) in blond-toned maple top and black-toned painted base, designed by George Nelson in 1946 — part of his first collection for Herman Miller, 48 by 18½ by 14½ inches; an Eames by Herman Miller MCM two-door storage unit ($100/400) measuring 32½ by 47¼ by 15¾ inches and made of zinc-coated steel and plywood.

A Tiffany & Co antique brass wardroom ship’s bell clock ($1/3,000).

Also highlighting furniture offerings are a vintage Grosfeld House wooden dresser/console table ($400/800), 80 by 32 by 19 inches; a Lillian August leopard print ottoman on casters ($200/400), 43 by 26 by 18 inches tall, and a pair of Brighton pavilion-style bamboo armchairs ($50-$150) with caned seats, each measuring about 35¼ inches tall. Rounding out the auction will be an antique George II sterling silver coffee pot ($200/600), mid-Eighteenth Century, London, having hallmarks suggesting it was produced by Thomas Whipham, 10 inches tall; a sealed bottle of vintage Shalimar perfume by Guerlain ($50-$100) in the vintage purple velour presentation box; a vintage Venetian hand painted glass coupe and plate ($40/80) with matching plate coaster featuring hand painted floral garlands and goldtoned leaf and scroll border, 6½ inches tall with a 7¼-inch diameter at the base; and a Louis XVIstyle French stone top wooden dresser ($200/400) having intricate ornate gold toned detail with cherubs, scroll, leaf and vine detailing, 53 by 35 inches.

The auction gallery is at 185 Kisco Avenue, Suite 201. For information, 914-864-0707 or www.thebenefitshop.org.