PHILLIPS BREAKS AUCTION WORLD RECORD FOR MARTIN BROTHERS ‘GROTESQUE’
PHILLIPS DESIGN SALES TOTAL $7,299,750 / £4,908,388 / €6,756,520
NEW YORK – 17 DECEMBER 2015 – Phillips Design, Design Masters and Martin Brothers auctions totalled $7,299,750 / £4,908,388 / €6,756,520, selling 78% by value and 66% by lot.
Phillips sold all 23 stoneware works by the late nineteenth-century ceramists R. W. Martin & Brothers. The top lot, a covered tobacco jar modelled as a grotesque bird caricature of former UK Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, broke an auction world record by achieving $233,000. The 1889 work shows Benjamin Disraeli characterized as a fantastical raptor, wings folded to his sides with a wise and knowing gaze on his anthropomorphized face. All 23 of the “grotesques” came from a single UK collection and have been gathered over 21 years since the mid-1990s.
“In all three of our design auctions, we saw a discerning market led by great connoisseurs and collectors who chose works by established designers across a century and a half,” said Alexander Payne, Worldwide Head of Design. “We had very active bidding for a number of lots, and we are pleased to set a new record for a Martin Brothers’ bird caricature of Benjamin Disraeli. The market for extraordinary design pieces remains solid, and our international team worked hard to assemble a sale that offered desirable works across multiple categories and price points.”
TOP TEN LOTS
321 Carlo Mollino, Unique ceiling light, $293,000 / £197,033 / €271,189
302 Jean Royère, Ours Polaire armchair, $269,000 / £180,894 / €248,976
306 Ron Arad, Prototype D-Sofa, $257,000 / £172,809 / €237,860
323 Charlotte Perriand, Large unique sideboard, $245,000 / £164,740 / €226,753
7 R. W. Martin & Brothers, Benjamin Disraeli bird jar and cover, $233,000 / £156,652 / €215,613
342 Pierre Jeanneret, Set of eight chairs from Punjab University, $197,000 / £132,424 / €182,299
313 Jean Prouvé, Cabinet, $191,000 / £128,390 / €176,752
314 Jean Prouvé, Rare Potence pivoting wall light, $185,000 / £124,337 / €171,200
317 George Nakashima, Conoid dining table, $155,000 / £104,173 / €143,441
13 R. W. Martin & Brothers, Grotesque and smiling armadillo, $143,000 / £96,108 / €132,336
Phillips is a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st Century art and design. With dedicated expertise in the areas of Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewelry, Phillips offers professional services and advice on all aspects of collecting. Auctions and exhibitions are held at salerooms in New York, London and Geneva, while clients are further served through representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. Phillips also offers an online auction platform accessible anywhere in the world.
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