With the “One of a Kind” collection of handcrafted ateliers owned by the collection of Diane and Marc Grainer, as well as works from other important private collections, this New York sale comprises 150 lots.
Among the key periods in this category of masters of the early 30th century, such as Alberto Giacometti and Eckart Muthesius in the XNUMXs, up to today's artists, such as Ingrid Donat and Marc Newson, the selection of works to offer will span the last century in Design.
The Eckart Muthesius sideboard comes from Manik Bagh Palace, one of the most significant interiors of the 20th century, from which Phillips has a history of selling recording work. Alberto Giacometti's “Tête de femme” table lamp is a wonderful example coming to the market for the first time having remained in a family collection since its acquisition in the 40s.
Leading the sale is the major sideboard, by the Maharaja of Indore Banquet Hall, Manik Bagh Palace, Indore, designed by Eckart Muthesius in 1931..
This sideboard is one of two designed for the magnificent banquet hall at Manik Bagh, a palace in India whose name translates to the Ruby Garden. In the 20s, Muthesius had befriended Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II while the two were studying at Oxford. When the Maharaja returned to India, he set out to build a new modernist palace called Manik Bagh, asking Muthesio to collaborate with him on the project. Particularly avant-garde for India, built and furnished with pieces made from industrial materials, the grand palace was a landmark of burgeoning modernism. This sideboard, among other pieces designed by Muthesius for the Manik Bagh Palace, embodies the simple, functional forms of that design era.
The “Tête de femme” table lamp by Alberto Giacometti will also be offered as the highlight of the auction. Known for his sculptural representations of the human form, in this work Giacometti explored femininity through the stoic bust of a woman. This is the first time this work will be offered for auction.
Estimate $130,000 – 150,000
Un rare chess table designed by Isamu Noguchi and manufactured by Herman Miller will also present a rare opportunity for collectors. The Japanese-American artist conceived his biomorphic drawing when he was invited to participate in the “Imagery of Chess” exhibition at New York's Julien Levy Gallery, at which point Noguchi was already an established artist and designer. “Imagery of Chess” explored the discourse surrounding chess, a game tied to a slower and more ritualistic past and its relationship to the fast-paced modern age. Chess is a platform on which intellectuals can display their mental intelligence and the physical platform, the table designed by Noguchi, is meant to reflect this.
A strong selection of works by Harry Bertoia will also be featured in the auction, covering a variety of media. The group includes two kinetic sculptures, a wood and steel sculpture, a bronze sculpture and one of his famous sound sculptures “Sonambient”.
Plus an exquisite Commode Galuchat designed by Ingrid Donat. Born into an artistic family, Donat was born in Paris and raised in Sweden, returning to Paris in 1975 to attend the École des Beaux Arts. The Galuchat dresser, produced in 2014, shows Donat's interest in the model.
The “Event Horizon” table by Marc Newson it is emblematic of Newson's ambitious retro-futurist aesthetic and was designed as part of a series with Orgone Chair, Orgone Stretch Chair and Alufelt Chair (1993). The table was produced for Ikepod (also known as Pod), the innovative watch company of Newson and Oliver Ike. The aluminum and enamelled interior of the table seems to take on an almost realistic sense of movement, with ductile surfaces and curving edges that blur the lines between the object and the surrounding space. Like a jet engine, the rounded corners of the Event Horizon table transition effortlessly into equally compelling interior spaces, with the piece's glowing red enamel core appearing to ebb and flow like plasma. To achieve this sleek, spatial effect, Newson had to return to the aeronautical technologies that had long inspired him, using an aircraft factory in France before finally settling on an Aston Martin subcontractor in Buckinghamshire, in order to achieve fluidity and fluid continuity of the piece.
Finally, a selection of twenty works from Diane and Marc Grainer's handicraft and design collection. Forward-thinking and longtime collectors, the Grainers began acquiring works in the late 70s, focusing on securing the best examples of each artist. Works from this collection to be offered in June include design masters such as Judy Kensley McKie and renowned potters such as Lucie Rie and Gordon Baldwin, and potters being offered for the first time by Phillips, including John Ward, Richard Shaw and Lawson Oyekan. These works provide a comprehensive overview of British studio pottery, as well as American studio and craft furniture.
Cover image, set of chairs by Carlo Mollino, Turin
