Italian design surprises more and more, the awaited auction at Phillips in New York achieved almost 4 million dollars, with a Sold by Lot of 88% and a Sold Value of 91%.
Alexander Payne, Worldwide Head of Design, said: “We were also honored to be entrusted with work from the personal collection of Trudie Styler and Sting. This selection of designer pieces reflects their keen eye and collectors have responded enthusiastically, culminating in a new record for Piero Fornasetti, which showcases Phillips' continued strength for XNUMXth-century Italian designon the market".
While Cordelia Lembo, head of the New York department, vice president, said: “French, Italian and American design have fared extremely well, and while we continue to get great prices for 20th century French design, we were delighted to set a new record for a Jean Royère Flaque table. Wendell Castle's two unique chairs exceeded expectations, with the "Student" chair selling for ten times its estimate and the "Pedestal" chair more than doubling its estimate. Work from the Westminster Collection has also fetched high prices, as the demand for high-quality ceramics maintains its strength, and we were delighted to bring many of these artists to auction for the first time.”
"The Metaphysical Room" 1958
Lithographic transfer-printed wood, painted wood, brass hinges.
Each panel: 98 1/4 x 19 3/4 x 1 1/4 in. (249.6 x 50.2 x 3.2cm)
Last panel signed Fornasetti 58.
Here the first ten top lots
| Batch | Description | Pixy | Realized price |
| 14 | Jean Royere, “Flaque” low table, 1955
World auction record for a “Puddle” table by the artist |
$ 180,000 - $ 250,000 | $591,000
£440,413/€502,291 |
| 38 | Piero Fornasetti, “The Metaphysical Room” (Metaphysical Room), 1958
World auction record for the designer |
$ 200,000 - $ 300,000 | $507,000
£377,816/€430,899 |
| 101 | Wendell Castle, Unique “Student” chair, 1961 | $ 25,000 - $ 35,000 | $262,500
£195,615/€223,099 |
| 113 | Zaha Hadid, Bench, 2006 | $ 100,000 - $ 150,000 | $125,000
£93,150/€106,238 |
| 17 | Paul Dupré-Lafon, pair of armchairs, 1929 | $ 60,000 - $ 80,000 | $106,250
£79,178/€90,302 |
| 100 | Wendell Castle, Unique “Pedestal” chair, 1967 | $ 40,000 - $ 60,000 | $106,250
£79,178/€90,302 |
| 64 | Lucie Rie, Conical bowl, 1970s | $ 30,000 - $ 40,000 | $100,000
£74,520/€84,990 |
| 49 | Serge Mouille, “Grand Totem” floor lamp, 1962 | $ 70,000 - $ 90,000 | $100,000
£74,520/€84,990 |
| 47 | yamaha, DC7 E3-Pro Disklavier Grand Piano and bench, 2011 | $ 60,000 - $ 80,000 | $72,500
£54,027/€61,618 |
| 63 | Lucie Rie, Bottle with cylindrical body and flaring lip, circa 1968 | $ 20,000 - $ 30,000 | $67,500
£50,301/€57,368 |
Auction records
| Batch | Description | Pixy | Realized Price |
| 9 | Luigi Caccia Dominioni and Ignazio Gardella, Set of three “Funnel” floor lamps, about 1954 | $ 5,000 - $ 7,000 | $13,750
£10,247/€11,686 |
| *previous record price: €9,660/$10,273 set in 2007 | |||
| 34 | Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist, “Garden of Eden” daybed, from the “Paradise” series, about 1961 | $ 10,000 - $ 15,000 | $23,750
£17,699/€20,185 |
| *previous record price: $22,500 set in 2013 | |||
| 38 | Piero Fornasetti, “The Metaphysical Room” (Metaphysical Room), 1958 | $ 200,000 - $ 300,000 | $507,000
£377,816/€430,899 |
| *previous record price: $301,000 set in 2007 | |||
| 40 | Denise Gatard, table lamps, 1950s | $ 4,000 - $ 6,000 | $50,000
£37,260/€42,495 |
| *previous record price: €11,731/$16,129 set in 2013 | |||
| 71 | Judy Trim, Two tall vases, 1980s | $ 800 - $ 1,200 | $3,000
£2,236/€2,550 |
| *previous record price: £400/$663 set in 2009 | |||
| 164 | Barovier & Toso (Co.), Set of seven “Fireworks” wall lights, about 1958 | $ 8,000 - $ 12,000 | $37,500
£27,945/€31,871 |
| *previous record price: £25,000/$36,544 set in 2009 | |||
