This week, international auction house Phillips is staging a handful of star-studded sales in London's Berkeley Square.
As well as the imminent 'Time for Design' auction, set to raise money for Kensington's relocated Design Museum, Phillips is presenting a sale focusing on 'Modern Masters', along with a day auction simply entitled 'Design'.
The 'Modern Masters' catalogue reads like an impeccably curated design text book, with key pieces from Alberto Giacometti, Pierre Jeanneret and Marcel Coard going under the hammer, including everything from benches and rugs to chess-sets. Wallpaper* are particularly intrigued by the rare Pietro Chiesa globe ceiling light, which is close in form and style to a renowned piece the art-deco master created for the Cosulich Shipping Company of Trieste. Produced by Fontana Arte in the 1930s, the hand-blown glass lamp swings in at a cool estimate of £20,000.
If 'Modern Masters' reads like a history book, the 'Design' catalogue is a maker's bible. Among clear standouts by Jean Prouvé, Ettore Sottsass and Gio Ponti, a quirky highlight is the range of venetian, hand-blown glass vases from the ever-collectable Japanese designer Yoichi Ohira. We love the aubergine-shaped 'Zucca in avorio con fili rossi' vase, with its polished inciso surface and hand-blown glass cane detail, expected to attract bids in excess of £15,000.
As if all this high-end gavel-action wasn't enough, Phillips is also pioneering a new online bidding system, paired with online auction house Invaluable.com. Launching today at their 'Evening and Day Exhibitions' sale in New York, the scheme allows Invaluable buyers from over 200 countries to access real-time bids in Phillips’ upcoming sales, both on the site and through the mobile app.
'We are pleased to extend the reach of our auction sales globally through the Invaluable marketplace and its discerning buyers,' says Megan Newcome, director of Phillips digital strategy. 'Collectors are increasingly engaging with the art world online and this initiative is one more step in establishing Phillips as an international leader in auctions and innovation.'
From 'Modern Masters', a coffee table, by Gio Ponti, c.1957. Estimate: £30,000–£50,000
Rare bench, designed for the Antica Quadreria, Contini Bonacossi Palace, Florence, by Gio Ponti, 1930. Estimate £35,000–£45,000
Pictured left: rare 'swinging seat' armchair, by Pierre Jeanneret, c.1955. Estimate: £20,000–£30,000. Right: rare 'Mariposa' armchair, by Gio Ponti, c.1958. Estimate: £12,000–£18,000
From 'Design': sideboard, by Ettore Sottsass, c.1959. Estimate: £6,000–£8,000
Pictured left: unique 'Zucca in avoria con fili rossi' vase, from the 'Metamorfosi Orientale' series, by Yoichi Ohira, 2003. Estimate: £15,000–£20,000. Right: 'Spuma di Mare' vase, by Ercole Barovier, c.1938. Estimate: £6,000–£8,000
A counterbalance ceiling light, model no. 12432, by Angelo Lelii, c.1954. Estimate: £7,000–£9,000
Pictured left: 'Epingle de Nourrice' standard lamp, by Yonel Lebovici, 1980. Estimate: £25,000–£35,000. Right: from 'Modern Masters', a rare ceiling light, by Pietro Chiesa, 1930s. Estimate: £15,000–£20,000
INFORMATION
’Modern Masters’ takes place on 27 April; ’Design’ on 28 April. For more information, visit the Phillips website
Photography courtesy Phillips
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