Some pieces from the sale’s top lot, a 127-piece Whiting Lily sterling flatware set from a Parisian estate, which sold for $6,350.
MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. – Snowstorm Stella hit hard, and many folks were hunkered down on their sofas for the duration. The Benefit Shop team, however, “dug out” and “dug in” to conduct an Ides of March auction.
A vintage gold cocktail ring with center oval jade stone went out at $286.
Understandably, the live audience was thin, but online bidding was vigorous as shoppers warmed to their virtual auction platforms. With real-world activity presenting slim choices during the storm, the internet was the beneficiary. The Benefit Shop Foundation auction had bidders from up and down the East Coast, around the globe, but mostly from the New York area.
Outdoors may have looked bleak, but objects of gold and silver glittered at auction. Large and small, objets d’art, jewelry, tableware and curiosities were the notable winners.
Silver shone the brightest. The top lot was a 127-piece Whiting Lily sterling flatware set from a Parisian estate. It will grace the winner’s table for $6,350.
Nothing warms the insides like a drink by the fire, a view shared by many internet bidders, resulting a sterling cordial and decanter set crossing the block at $572. An interesting mix of assorted sterling collectibles included a pair of ball gown corner raising attachments with finger clips sold for $318.
A 10-foot-tall Art Nouveau mirror from a turn-of-the-century Brooklyn brownstone will be returning to its roots, snatched up for a very reasonable $318. This piece had carvings notable for that design era including elongated, sinuous lines and ornately carved leafy florals in relief standing proudly from curvy vines. The mirror has its original glass and the piece weighed more than 200 pounds. All hand carved and gold leafed in 22K gold, the piece makes quite a golden glow statement.
On the smaller side, a vintage gold cocktail ring with center oval jade stone went home to the lucky bidder for $286. And, with a nod to spring, another bidder could look forward to a gold and ruby butterfly ring caught at $223, arriving at their doorstep by UPS. A vintage gold and porcelain lamp will light up a room for the winner who was the top bidder at $953. A gold rococo carved mirror crossed the block for $445, reflecting a rebound for pieces in this style.
A gold patterned brooch was discovered during gallery unpacking. Unexpectedly, as the team was opening and removing boxed items that came from a basement storage area of a Mount Kisco estate, the piece glittered from underneath a mound of glassware. The origin is unknown, and illegibly marked on underside, it sold for $350.
Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. The next sale by the Benefit Shop Foundation, a nonprofit auction gallery, is set for April 12. For information, www.thebenefitshop.org or 914-864-0707.
