LONDON.- Christie’s Design sale on 17 October will include an extensive range of rare and bold works of international 20th Century Design including one of the largest René Lalique vase ever to be offered at auction (estimate: £300,000 - £500,000) as well as a rare bureau by Paul Dupré-Lafon from 1929 (estimate: £250,000 - £350,000). The private collection of architect and gallerist Zeev Aram is also a highlight, as it contains rare and unique works of design by renowned British artists such as Peter Blake, Howard Hodgkin, Edouardo Paolozzi and Allen Jones. Zeev Aram had originally asked these famous artists to create prototype furniture models for a landmark exhibition in celebration of the 21st anniversary of his gallery and we are pleased to present this selection of inventive and individualistic works to new and discerning collectors alike. Amongst its broad review of the best international design the sale also features a carefully selected group of lighting installations by Ingo Maurer, the famed German lighting designer, exceptionally rare bronze pieces of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, as well as the very best of mid-century and modern design from Brazil, and a strong emphasis on Danish and Nordic mid-century design. Held alongside the Design auction will be Thinking Italian Design, a various-owner sale which draws together rarely-seen works from important collections, featuring seminal pieces by the leading Italian designers of the last 100 years.

Christie’s has been selling Lalique at auction since dedicated Decorative Art & Design sales began in 1971 and has offered more Lalique at auction than any other auction house internationally. Today, Christie's presents a cire perdue vase by the most celebrated glass maker and designer of his era. Cire perdue items are distinguished by an absence of mould lines and by their unpolished surface, and in many instances, retain the fingerprints of the maker, celebrating their artisanal manufacture. Because this technique was labour intensive and technically challenging, the unique mould could only be used once. Of impressive scale and presence, the present lot is amongst the largest of the cire perdue works Lalique designed. This impressive example can be contextualised to the pivotal moment in Lalique’s career that followed his first glass exhibition at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1911. Today, and as they were at the time of original execution, cire perdue vases remain among the most prized and sought after works by René Lalique.

Another highlight of the sale is a rare bureau by Paul Dupré-Lafon (estimate: £250,000 – 350,000). Trained as an architect but working primarily as an interior designer, his furniture combined the functionality of modernist design with the luxury of art deco. Of sophisticated form and with strong spatial presence, the present desk and is only one of two variations known to exist. This desk fluently illustrates Dupre-Lafon’s skills, uniting function with sumptuous materials and accented by subtle use of colour to deliver a luxurious desk appropriate for his cultivated clientele

Following on the success for British artists during Post War and Contemporary Art Evening auction throughout Frieze week, we are pleased to be offering unique works and prototypes by renowned artists Howard Hodgkin, Eduardo Paolozzi and Allen Jones, (amongst others). Since achieving a world record price for a rug by Francis Bacon during our recent evening sale, we look forward to presenting the lots from the Zeev Aram collection to carry on the excitement and synergy between contemporary art and design.