NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s Important 20th Century Design sale on 17 December 2014 will offer a selection of American and European masterworks spanning the last 100 years, led by a private collection of iconic French Art Deco and Postwar Design from an interior created by internationally-acclaimed architect Alan Wanzenberg. The collection features defining works by Eugène Printz, Pierre Chareau, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean Royère. Additionally, the sale offers pieces from American Arts & Crafts, French Modern Design and Contemporary works such as François-Xavier Lalanne’s “Mouton de Laine” from 1986 (est. $250/350,000). Estimates range from a few thousand to $350,000. The exhibition opened to the public on 13 December at Sotheby’s New York headquarters.
AN INTERIOR BY ALAN WANZENBERG: MASTERWORKS OF FRENCH DESIGN
The December auction opens with 43 works from the historic home ‘Uig Lodge’ overlooking the Sydney Harbor, whose interior was designed by Alan Wanzenberg. The collection provides a window into Mr. Wazenberg’s aesthetic and deep understanding of design history. The fine furnishings on offer include An Important Desk by Eugene Printz from 1932, inset with monogrammed plaque palmwood and patinated wrought iron (est. $250/350,000), and An Important “Etoile” Sideboard, Model M 0075 from 1955 by Jean Royère, executed in straw marquetry and oak (est. $120/180,000).
ADDITIONAL SALE HIGHLIGHTS
Josef Hoffmann’s jewelry box, Unique “Schmuck-Kassette,”(est. $80/120,000) from 1904 is exemplary of the detail and classical modernism exhibited by the artisans who designed objects for the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese Workshops), founded by Hoffmann and Koloman Moser in 1903.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s patinated copper A Pair of “Weed” Vases (est. $200/300,000), circa 1895-1900, serves as a rare example of Wright’s contributions to the Arts and Crafts movement. A pair of these vases was included in Wright’s 1902 exhibition of his work at the Chicago Architecture Club.
From 1928, Jean Dunand’s An Important Occasional Table (est. $200/300,000) was a contribution to Dorothy Shaver’s, head of Lord & Taylor, “Bureau of Fashion and Decoration,” an exhibition of French Decorative Art in New York. The lacquered and parcel-gilt wood table is decorated with a geometric pattern: the engraved and giltenhanced radiating top refers to the aesthetic favored by the artistic avant gardes of the time, from Cubism to Italian Futurism.
Philippe Hiquily’s 1968 stainless steel Adjustable Dining Table (est. $100/150,000) is comprised of 16 pieces and can be configured as a single large dining table, two smaller tables or two console tables. Only two examples of this model are known to exist. This noted sculptor created a unique vocabulary for his works of design.
