Press | Phillips

30 October 2024

Important 20th Century French and Italian Design to Lead Phillips’ London Auction

 

 

Important 20th Century French and Italian Design to Lead Phillips’ London Auction

 

Sale on 13 November to Feature Rare Works by Seizô Sugawara, François-Xavier Lalanne, Line Vautrin, and Carlo Scarpa

 

 

 

LONDON – 30 OCTOBER 2024 – Phillips is pleased to announce highlights from the upcoming Design auction in London on 13 November. The sale will celebrate the very best of 20th and 21st century design, featuring works of significant historical provenance, from prominent private collections. Highlights include a remarkable rediscovery: an armchair by Seizô Sugawara, which features in the sale alongside the contemplative ‘Fontaine Pleureuse’ by François-Xavier Lalanne, and exceptional designs by Osvaldo Borsani and Lucio Fontana crafted for Casa Kramer in Milan. Among the standout lots with exceptional provenance are two rare Carlo Scarpa console tables and a pair of rare chairs, alongside Charlotte Perriand’s iconic 'Tunisie' bookcase, designed circa 1952 for the student rooms of La Maison de la Tunisie, Cité Internationale Universitaire, Paris. The full catalogue is available for viewing online, with a public preview opening at Phillips’ Berkeley Square galleries on 6 November.

 

Domenico Raimondo, Phillips’ Head of Department, Design, Europe and Senior International Specialist, said, “We are delighted to present our Design auction this November, highlighting exceptional works that celebrate the innovation and creativity of 20th century and Contemporary designers. From Sugawara’s pioneering and rare armchair to Scarpa’s revolutionary Modernist Pre-War designs originally intended for the Ca' Foscari, this auction offers a unique opportunity to acquire pieces that capture the distinct visions of their creators and represent pivotal moments in design history. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our preview opening on 6 November, where they can experience these remarkable works in person.”

 

Leading the sale is a rare armchair by Seizô Sugawara, designed around 1915. This piece reflects the heightened interest in Eastern decorative arts among the Parisian elite at the time, following the 1900 Exposition Universelle. Designed at the tail end of this Belle Époque period, the armchair reflects Far Eastern aesthetics through its sculptural backrest and striking lacquer finish with silver and gold leaf, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship. The century-old lacquer was applied using ancient Japanese techniques unfamiliar to French artisans of the time. Sugawara, who trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Tokyo, relocated to Paris in 1905 to teach these lacquer techniques.

 

Another highlight of the sale is François-Xavier Lalanne’s 'Fontaine Pleureuse,' a poignant meditation on the complexities of human emotion. Inspired by his wife Claude's design, this piece transforms her sculpture of a sleeping woman into a melancholic figure. True to the spirit and innovation of Les Lalanne, the work incorporates natural elements with the addition of ivy as hair and cascading water which represents tears. Further French design highlights include Charlotte Perriand’s sought-after 'Tunisie' bookcase, a rare three-panel screen by Katsu Hamanaka, and an exceptional 'Monaco' mirror by Line Vautrin.

 

 

 

Charlotte Perriand

'Tunisie' bookcase, designed for the student rooms of La Maison de la Tunisie, Cité Internationale Universitaire, Paris, circa 1952

Estimate: £100,000 - 150,000

 

Katsu Hamanaka

Rare three-panel screen, circa 1931

Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000

 

 

Line Vautrin

Rare 'Monaco' mirror, circa 1960

Estimate: £60,000 - 80,000 

 

 

The present coffee table and wall-mounted console, dating from circa 1950, are rare examples of the remarkable Post-War collaboration between two icons of Italian 20th century art and design: Osvaldo Borsani and Lucio Fontana. Originally crafted for the little-documented Casa Kramer in Milan, home of musician Gorni Kramer, these pieces showcase Borsani's furniture designs enhanced by Fontana's distinctive, Baroque-inspired aesthetic, tailored for Milan’s bourgeois clientele of the late 1940s and early 1950s.

 

 

 

Osvaldo Borsani and Lucio Fontana

Rare wall-mounted console, from Casa Kramer, Milan, circa 1950

Estimate: £50,000 - 70,000

 

 

Osvaldo Borsani and Lucio Fontana

Rare coffee table, from Casa Kramer, Milan, circa 1950

Estimate: £30,000 - 50,000

 

Between 1935 and 1937, Carlo Scarpa renovated the Ca' Foscari, a historic 15th century palace in Venice, transforming it into the Ca' Foscari University. This pre-World War II project preserved the building's character while modernising its spaces. Scarpa also designed furnishings for the Ca' Foscari University, which included the present models of two rare console tables with a striking crossed stretcher motif and a pair of rare chairs, bearing an exceptional provenance from a private Venetian collection. Further Italian highlights include a coffee table designed by Gio Ponti, a Carlo Scarpa mirror, and a rare set of five vases by Ettore Sottsass, Jr.

 

 

Carlo Scarpa

Carlo Scarpa, Two rare console tables, 1935-1937

Estimate: £25,000 - 35,000

 

 

 Carlo Scarpa

Pair of rare chairs, 1935-1937

Estimate £15,000 - 20,000

 

 

 

Gio Ponti

Coffee table, circa 1948

Estimate: £25,000 - 35,000

 

 

Carlo Scarpa

Mirror, model no. 77, circa 1939

Estimate: £18,000 – 24,000

 

 

Ettore Sottsass, Jr.

Rare set of five vases, 1957

Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000

 

Of the Contemporary designs featured in the sale, highlights include pieces by Ron Arad, known for his bold, sculptural forms; Shiro Kuramata, whose avant-garde designs push the boundaries of materials and space; and Gaetano Pesce, celebrated for his experimental use of colour and resin. Also featured are works by the Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana, whose designs blend craftsmanship and recycled materials, redefining the concept of sustainable design.

 

 

Ron Arad

Unique pair of monumental sculptures, from the 'Volume' series, circa 1988

Estimate: £3,000 – 5,000

 

Shiro Kuramata

'Luminous' chair, circa 1969

Estimate: £5,000 – 7,000

 

 

 

 

Gaetano Pesce

Double bed, from the 'Nobody's Perfect' series, 2002

Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000

 

 

Fernando Campana and Humberto Campana

'Sonia Diniz' chair, 2003

Estimate: £5,000 – 7,000

 

 

Included in the Nordic offerings is an exceptional early example of Børge Mogensen's iconic 'Hunting' chair. Born in Aalborg and trained as a cabinetmaker, Mogensen refined his craft at the Royal Danish Academy, graduating in 1941. His 'Hunting' chair, first unveiled at the prestigious 1950 Cabinetmakers' Guild Exhibition, is celebrated for its distinctive V-shaped frame and use of natural leather, embodying a seamless fusion of traditional craftsmanship and modernist aesthetics. This particular lot holds important provenance, having been created for Mogensen’s own home before subsequent chairs of this model were produced.

 

Further highlights include two works by Peder Moos which were formally in his personal collection, and a rare two-seater sofa by Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Børge Mogensen

  Early 'Hunting' chair, from

Børge Mogensen’s house, Gentofte, Denmark, circa 1950

Estimate: £6,000 - 8,000

 

 

Auction: 13 November 2024

Auction viewing: 6 - 12 November 2024

Location: 30 Berkeley Square, London, United Kingdom, W1J 6EX

Click here for more information: https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/UK050224