Phillips
de Pury, New York
December 13, 2007
International cutting-edge
contemporary and mid-century avant-garde design, the areas of concentration
for the Phillips de Pury & Company's design department, triumphed
with record results at the department's Design sale last Thursday, December
13.
The top lot of the sale was Maria Pergay’s Rare
one-arm “Banquet” daybed for $421,000 which
established a new record for the designer.
Record prices for works by Ron Arad and The Campana Brothers followed
with Ron Arad’s “D” sofa
for $409,000 and the Brazilian duo, Fernando and Humberto Campana’s
“Sushi” sofa selling for $253,000. Other
works by both Ron Arad and The Campana Brothes sold with excellent results.
Ron Arad’s “All Light Long” table sold for $193,000
and Fernando and Humberto Campana’s “Sonia Diniz” chair
for $145,000. Martin Szekely’s One prototype and two “P.P.C”
tables were sold for $133,000 establishing a record for the artist at
auction.
Further records were established for cutting-edge designers. Patrick
Jouin’s Prototype “C1” chair
from the Solid Series sold for $22,500. Mathias Bengtsson’s Early
developmental "Slice” chair for $39,400 and a table by Albert
Paley for $97,000. AliTayar’s “Calder’s” table
sold for $17,500.
phillipsdepury.com
Pierre
Bergé, Bruxelles
December 12, 2007
The auction totaled $ 4,140,333
highlights:
Lot 675 : Jean Prouvé, Table,
1935, $126,849
Lot 630 : Shiro Kuramata, Pyramido,
Prototype, 1968 $ 115,984
Lot 686 : Serge Mouille Table,
1950, $108,739
Lot 611: Jurgen
Bey, Strangers Table, 2006, $43,495
pba-auctions.com
Sotheby’s,
New York
Winter 2007 sales of 20th Century Design
Comprising the Postwar & Contemporary Design sale in November and
the three auctions which concluded on December 14th - Important Prewar
Design, Deutscher Werkbund to Bauhaus: An Important Collection of German
Design, and Important Tiffany Lamps: The John M. Fowler Collection –
the sales attracted interest from private European and American collectors
in addition to numerous institutions, and set a number of important records
including Marianne Brandt, Paul Evans, Piero Fornasetti, Jasper Morrison,
The Roycrofters and Joseph Heinrich. James Zemaitis, Senior Vice President
and Director of Sotheby’s 20th Century Design Department, said,
“The four sales proved the continuing strength of 20th Century Design
in the numerous micro-markets that comprise the staggering breadth of
our category. From Majorelle to Jasper Morrison, Sotheby’s continuous
to pioneer and refine emerging and established markets.”
Important Postwar and Contemporary Design – November 16, 2007
In November, Sotheby’s presented an inaugural sale of Important
Postwar and Contemporary Design within the context of the major sales
of Contemporary Art. The sale featured important works of the period including
choice examples of French, Danish, Italian and American postwar modernism,
American craft and Contemporary design. The auction totaled $3,827,563
(est. $2.9/4.3 million) and was highlighted by one of Piero Fornasetti’s
most important works, The Important Thirty-Two Panel “La Stanza
Metafisica” Screen, from 1958, which doubled the high estimate to
sell for $301,000, a record for the designer at auction. Mr. Zemaitis
commented, “We were excited to take advantage of the natural cross
marketing opportunities that exist with the Contemporary art market. As
is true in many categories
right now, we are seeing an influx of European buyers in our New York
salesroom and it’s encouraging to see them embrace the American
postwar studio movement of the established Pennsylvania designers such
as Nakashima, Bertoia and Evans, and the emerging California design market
epitomized by the work of Jack Rogers Hopkins and J.B. Blunk and others.”
Also among the top ten lots was Gaetano Pesce’s Moloch “Floor
Lamp” from 1971, which exceeded a high estimate of $120,000 to sell
for $181,000.
Other artist’s records for the sale included Maria Pergay’s
Rare Flying Carpet Daybed, circa 1970s, which brought $127,000, above
a high estimate of $90,000 and Paul Evans’ Cabinet which sold for
$157,000 (est. $70/90,000).
Deutscher Werkbund to Bauhaus: An Important Collection of German Design
– December 14, 2007
Leading off the December auctions was a single-owner collection of German
metalwork, ceramics and glass from the first three decades of the 20th
Century. The offering inspired competitive bidding with seven American
institutions acquiring works for their collections. Highlighting the offering
was an extremely rare example of Marianne Brandt’s
celebrated Tea Infuser, Model No. MT49 from 1927, which
sold to a private American museum for $361,000, a record not only for
Brandt at auction, but also for Bauhaus design. Other highlights included
examples of Theodore Wende’s most important and
impressive works of his avant-garde period, an Important and Unique Tea
Set, circa 1927, and an Important and Unique Coffee Service,
circa 1926, which sold for $181,000 and $79,000 respectively.
Among the works purchased by public institutions was Albin Muller’s
Punch Bowl, circa 1905, which sold for $18,750 to the Minneapolis Institute
of Art.
Important Prewar Design – December 14, 2007
The Important Prewar Design sale, which featured choice examples from
the American Arts & Crafts movement and Tiffany Studios, European
Art Deco and Art Nouveau, and works by the European and American pioneers
of Modernism, brought a total of $8,999313 (est. $6.3/9.4 million). The
top lot of the sale was Louis Majorelle’s Table Aux Nénuphars,
circa 1902, which brought a remarkable $701,800, far exceeding the pre-sale
estimate of $40/60,000. That price established a new record for a table
by the designer at auction. Also among the top lots for the sale was a
Superb and Rare ‘Fontane’ Chiffonier by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann
which sold for $253,000. A world auction record was established for Gilbert
Rohde when his Grand Piano, which had been consigned by the Museum of
Modern Art to benefit the acquisitions fund, sold for $115,000, more than
double the high estimate of $50,000. Highlighting the Arts & Crafts
section was an Important and Rare Bookcase, Model No. 510 by Gustav Stickley,
circa 1901, which brought $361,000 (est. $180/240,000), the third highest
price achieved for the designer at auction. New auction records were established
for The Roycrofters, whose
Important and Rare Cellarette, Model No. 019, brought $181,000; and Joseph
Heinrich, when his Important and Monumental Ten Piece Punch Service, circa
1910, sold for $289,000, nearly double the high estimate.
Dominating the top ten lots for the sale were four extraordinary animalier
bronzes by Rembrandt Bugatti from an important private collection. The
group was highlighted by Deux Antilopes Goudou, a fine example of the
artist’s animal groupings which highlights his superior ability
to show emotional
interaction between animals, which brought $493,000. That price was closely
followed by the $481,000, paid for Léopard merchant, widely recognized
as one of Bugatti’s most successful and iconic cat depictions. Also
on offer were Jeune Cerf se Grattant le Cou and Grand Cerf Marchant which
sold
for $367,000 and $361,000 respectively.
Additional strong prices were achieved for many of the pioneers of modern
design, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, whose Chair from the Hillside Home
School, Spring Green, Wisconsin, circa 1904, sold for $33,400 (est. $8/12,000)
and Gerrit Rietveld, whose Zig-Zag Chair, circa 1934, sold for $43,000
(est.$15/20,000), to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
Important Tiffany Lamps: The John M. Fowler Collection – December
14, 2007
The offering of works from Tiffany Studios this December was highlighted
by a superb single owner collection, Important Tiffany Lamps: The John
M. Fowler Collection. The choice offering was 100% sold, bringing a total
of $2,281,000, above the high estimate of $1.9 million. An extraordinary
Wisteria Table Lamp was the top selling lot, bringing $881,000, a record
for the model at auction. Other highlights from the offering included
a striking Trumpet Creeper Lamp and a Poppy Table Lamp which sold for
$421,000 and $313,000 respectively.
December 6 / 9, 2007
Brook Mason and Melanie Gerlis' Design Miami/ report in the The Art Newspaper:
......Of course, global strategies rely upon strong demand. Celebrities
were quick off the mark, including Donna Karan, who bought a coffee table designed by Serio Victorio, from NewYork’s Magen H Gallery (20). Calvin Klein and Jerome Chazen, co-founder of the Liz Claiborne clothing label, were in the aisles and ex-Disney president Michael Ovitz was also looking to buy. The museum world was represented by curators from theMetropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Arts & Design and theMuseum of FineArts, Houston. As befits a design fair, some of the stands stood out from the
crowds. On R 20th Century (13), stand designer Claudia Dias took her green and yellow palette from the legendary Oscar Niemeyer as the backdrop for his 13-piece collection of furniture. Two sets were sold for around $200,000 each to private collectors. There are eight new dealers this year, although three have not returned, bringing numbers up from 21 to 26, including London’s Albion Gallery, which sold several David Adjaye pieces from his “Monoforms” series, including Galilee, 2007 ($60,000) and Luxor, 2007 ($40,000) to a Parisian and American collector. It also sold a Campana Brothers’ chair with table for $150,000.
Others also reported strong initial sales. Galerie Downtown (23) sold at least seven pieces by mid-century designer Jean Royère (between $25,000- $45,000) and, within minutes, Moss Gallery (21) sold two of Maarten Baas’ chromed clay standing electric fans (which helped cool the stand) for
$34,000 each. One dealer’s stand was literally stripped bare: Kenny Schachter Rove (3) sold his painted floorboards designed by Richard Woods, Logo 41, 2007, for $35,000. “Five years ago I only had a few collectors who would spend $350,000 a year, today it is closer to 30,” said Franklin Getchell, coowner of Moss.