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“The direction [of my sculpture that] I have been most interested in indicates an assemblage of components held together as if by a magnetic force. It is desirable to leave the equation somewhat incomplete, thereby giving the observer a chance for completion.”
—Harry Bertoia, 1955A 1952 promotional image for Knoll International, Inc. illustrates one of Harry Bertoia’s wire chairs sitting next to a multi-plane sculputre similar to the present lot. The photo, taken during a period of immense production and possibility for Bertoia, captures the worlds that Bertoia simultaneously occupied at this time: the functional and the sculptural; the commercial and the artistic; the rigid and the organic. Throughout the 1950s, Bertoia gained international attention and began to create more purely sculptural and architectonic sculptures such as the present work.
A multi-plane sculpture similar to the present example and a side chair also designed by Harry Bertoia, circa 1952.
Artwork © 2022 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photography by Herbert Matter.In 1958, the same year that Bertoia created the present multi-plane sculpture, architect Don Hatch commissioned him to create a monumental screen for the United States Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. In the late 1940s, Hatch moved to Venezuela to preside as the Chief Architect of International Basic Economy Corporation, a company founded by Nelson Rockefeller with the mission of strengthening the nation’s economy. Such initiatives, paired with the nation’s booming oil economy as well as nationwide modernization projects, allowed the country to be a hotbed for international modern designers such as Hatch and Bertoia. The following decade was not only a fruitful one for Bertoia but also for modern design and architecture in Venezuela. (Only two years before the execution of the present lot had modernist architect Gio Ponti designed Villa Planchart, a masterpiece of modern architecture in Caracas, which interestingly included sculptures by Bertoia in its interior.)
Left: The U.S. Embassy in Caracas, designed by Don Hatch with a monumental screen on the façade designed by Harry Bertoia, 1958. Artwork © 2022 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Right: Galeria Don Hatch display featuring Knoll furniture designed by Harry Bertoia.
Image: Craft Horizons, September/October 1958. Artwork © 2022 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.Hatch also owned a gallery-cum-showroom in Caracas called Galeria Don Hatch which displayed a variety of craft and fine art, ranging from Scandinavian ceramics and glass to Mexican tapestries and Surrealist art. The present sculpture was sold to Don Hatch in 1958—the same year that the gallery mounted a one-man show for Bertoia—and was later acquired by the notable Caracas-based gallery Estudio Actual before being sold in the 1980s to private collectors in South America where it has remained since. The sculpture is not only a representative example of the material and sculptural explorations that Bertoia undertook at the time but it also symbolizes the cusp of Bertoia’s burgeoning career. Using a torch, Bertoia melted copper and brass onto the steel skeleton in a way that was not altogether dissimilar from contemporary Abstract Expressionist artists such as Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning's use of paint on canvas.
Provenance
Don Hatch Galleria, Caracas, acquired directly from the artist, 1958
Estudio Actual, Caracas
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1980sLiterature
Nancy N. Schiffer and Val O. Bertoia, The World of Bertoia, Atglen, 2003, pp. 60, 63, 65-66, 80 for similar examples
Celia Bertoia, The Life and Work of Harry Bertoia: The Man, the Artist, the Visionary, Atglen, 2015, p. 78 for a similar example
Beverly H. Twitchell, Bertoia: The Metalworker, London, 2019, pp. 152-55 for similar examples
Property from a Private South American Collection
51
Untitled (multi-plane construction)
circa 1958
Copper and brass melt-coated steel.
43 5/8 x 18 1/2 x 21 1/2 in. (110.8 x 47 x 54.6 cm)
Together with a certificate of authenticity from the Harry Bertoia Foundation.
Estimate
$70,000 - 100,000
Sold for $63,000
Benjamin Green
Associate Specialist
Associate Head of Sale
bgreen@phillips.com
+1 917 207 9090
Design
New York Auction 7 December 2022
1
Max Ingrand
Ceiling light
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $25,200
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2
Gino Sarfatti
Floor lamp, model no. 1034
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $20,160
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3
André Bloc
"Boomerang" desk, designed for the Villa Bellevue, Meudon, France
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $32,760
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4
Fritz Hansen
Pair of armchairs, model no. 1669
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $42,840
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5
Ico Parisi
Table
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $15,120
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6
Venini
Mirror, model no. 74
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $7,560
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7
Napoleone Martinuzzi
Three wall lights
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $15,120
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8
Jean Royère
"Ondulation" table lamp
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $47,880
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9
Jean Royère
"Flaque" coffee table
Estimate $200,000 - 300,000
Sold for $252,000
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10
After Joan Miró
"Mangouste" carpet
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $11,970
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11
Jean Royère
"Ondulation" ceiling light
Estimate $100,000 - 150,000
Sold for $201,600
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12
Attributed to Carlo Enrico Rava
Pair of benches
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $6,930
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13
This lot is no longer available.
14
François-Xavier Lalanne and Kazuhide Takahama
“Rhinoceros” five-panelled screen, from the “Ultramobile” series
Estimate $30,000 - 40,000
Sold for $40,320
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15
Marc Lalique
“Cactus” table
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $20,160
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16
Tiffany Studios
Flower-form vase
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $115,920
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17
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
"Élégant" guéridon
Estimate $24,000 - 26,000
Sold for $32,760
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18
Jeff Zimmerman
Unique "Vine" ceiling light
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $68,040
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19
Attributed to Jacques Adnet
Cabinet
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $6,300
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20
Edmund de Waal
Two tall lidded jars
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $27,720
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21
Edmund de Waal
Lidded jar
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $8,820
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22
Hans J. Wegner
Set of six "China" armchairs, model no. 4283
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
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23
Alberto Giacometti
"Étoile" floor lamp
Estimate $150,000 - 250,000
Sold for $289,800
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24
Jean Dunand
Large tray
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $11,340
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25
Lucie Rie
Footed bowl
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $56,700
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26
Ingrid Donat
"Bureau aux Caryatides et Scarifications"
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $47,880
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27
Hervé van der Straeten
"Branches" mirror, model no. 210
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $27,720
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28
Flemming Lassen
Pair of armchairs
Estimate $18,000 - 24,000
Sold for $22,680
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29
Flemming Lassen
Sofa
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $15,120
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30
Axel Johann Salto
“The Core of Power” (“Kraftens Kerne”) sculpture
Estimate $50,000 - 70,000
Sold for $63,000
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31
Arne Vodder
Chaise longue with integrated swivel tray
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $23,940
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32
Fernando Campana and Humberto Campana
Unique "Esmeralda" ceiling light
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
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33
Zanini de Zanine Caldas
Pair of "Vazada" chairs
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $17,640
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34
Ron Nagle
"Blue Grady," from the "Thin Fin" series
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $22,680
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35
Ron Nagle
"Blue Fun One"
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $13,860
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36
Ron Nagle
"Muy Shibui," from the "Thin Fin" series
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $16,380
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37
Zaha Hadid
"Serif 4" wall-mounted shelf, from the "Seamless" collection
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $10,710
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38
Ken Price
"Siren"
Estimate $50,000 - 70,000
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39
Ettore Sottsass, Jr.
"Murmansk" fruit bowl
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $11,340
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40
Viola Frey
"Untitled"
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $25,200
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41
Vladimir Kagan
"Unicorn" side table
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $15,120
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42
Vladimir Kagan
"Contour" armchair
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
Sold for $15,120
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43
Scott Burton
“Five-Part Storage Cubes”
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $17,640
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44
Wendell Castle
Pair of chairs
Estimate $50,000 - 70,000
Sold for $69,300
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45
Ron Arad
"Oh Void 2"
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
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46
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
"Beugelstoel"
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
Sold for $30,240
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47
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
"Berlin" armchair
Estimate $18,000 - 24,000
Sold for $22,680
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48
Frank Lloyd Wright
Pair of windows, from the second Francis W. Little House, "Northome," Wayzata, Minnesota
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $20,160
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49
Frank Lloyd Wright
Pair of chairs, from the C. Leigh Stevens House, “Auldbrass” Plantation, Yemassee, South Carolina
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $27,720
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50
Michael Anastassiades
"Mobile Chandelier 1"
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
Sold for $6,300
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51
Harry Bertoia
Untitled (multi-plane construction)
Estimate $70,000 - 100,000
Sold for $63,000
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52
Doyle Lane
Weed pot
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $32,760
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53
Doyle Lane
Weed pot
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $15,120
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54
Doyle Lane
Weed pot
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $10,080
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55
T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
"Mesa" coffee table, model no. 1760-6
Estimate $200,000 - 300,000
Sold for $302,400
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56
Peter Voulkos
Plate
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $14,490
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57
Peter Voulkos
Vase
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $20,160
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58
Toshiko Takaezu
"Closed Form" with rattle
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $9,450
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59
Toshiko Takaezu
"Closed Form"
Estimate $2,500 - 3,500
Sold for $8,820
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60
Toshiko Takaezu
"Closed Form"
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $12,600
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61
Toshiko Takaezu
"Closed Form"
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $10,710
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62
Toshiko Takaezu
"Closed Form"
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $25,200
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63
Toshiko Takaezu
"Closed Form" with rattle
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $20,160
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64
George Nakashima
Set of three "Amoeba" nesting tables
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $17,640
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65
George Nakashima
Custom sliding door cabinet
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $88,200
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66
George Nakashima
"Slab" coffee table
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $16,380
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67
Gio Ponti
Wall light, designed for the Hotel Parco dei Principi, Rome
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
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68
George Nakashima
"Cushion" chair and ottoman
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $16,380
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69
Fontana Arte
Pair of mirrors, model no. 2359
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
Sold for $10,080
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70
Gio Ponti
Coffee table
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $10,080
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71
Angelo Lelii
Floor lamp, model no. 12829
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $6,300
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72
Finn Juhl
“Chieftain” chair, model no. FJ 49 A
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $88,200
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73
Max Ingrand
Pair of wall lights, model no. 1568
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $12,600
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74
Gio Ponti
Side table
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $12,600
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75
Angelo Lelii
Ceiling light
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $44,100
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76
Josef Hoffmann
"Brotkorb," model no. S 4453
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $17,640
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77
Seguso
Four wall lights
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
Sold for $7,560
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78
Josef Hoffmann
Vase, model no. M 3067/M va 6
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $6,930
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79
Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia
Pair of armchairs, from Casa Bonomi, Milan
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $12,600
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80
Josef Hoffmann
"Aufsatz" centerpiece, model no. M sh 17
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $15,120
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81
Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia
Pair of stools, from Casa Bonomi, Milan
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $3,780
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82
Albert Cheuret
Ceiling light
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $22,680
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83
Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia
Chest of drawers
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $21,420
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84
Ingrid Donat
Pair of "Bougeoirs Ekorce Rondelles 03"
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $8,820
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85
Ico Parisi
Unique wall-mounted console table
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $15,120
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86
Fontana Arte
Pair of wall lights
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $8,820
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87
Ico Parisi
Side table
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
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88
Gabriella Crespi
"Caleidoscopio" floor lamp
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $13,860
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89
Gio Ponti
Table
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $35,280
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90
Angelo Lelii
Three "3 Lune" ceiling lights
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $56,700
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91
Carlo Scarpa
Ceiling light, model no. 5294
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $34,020
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