The Christie’s Design Sale, held June 8 at the auction house’s New York location, tallied a number of important sales. Among them? “A Sheep and Two Ottomans,” from François-Xavier Lalanne’s “Moutons de Laine” set. The group of three pieces was estimated at $500,000 to $800,000 but sold for $1,085,000. The Design Sale auctions totaled $4,750,875, which exceeded estimates, and revealed notable interest in modern French designers.
"Ondulation" table sold for $75,314.
All of Lalanne’s pieces were sold above their original estimates, while work by Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé, Jean Royère and Georges Jouve also sold for higher-than-expected numbers. Notable sales included a pair of Royère’s “Ondulation” armchairs, dated circa 1950, which sold for $81,250, more than double the estimated $30,000 to $40,000 price tag; as well as Ingrid Donat’s 2004 cabinet “Hommage à Klimt,” which sold for $118,750, and her 2008 bench “Banc aux Accoudoirs,” which was auctioned for $65,000. Both final bids were higher than anticipated: The cabinet had been estimated at $40,000 to $60,000; the bench, at $20,000 to $30,000.
