Press | Phillips

Phillips’ Design Sales Achieve a Combined Total of

£6.7 Million and a White Glove Sale for Casa Fornaroli

Casa Fornaroli Sale Total: £923,862 / $1,152,055 / €1,042,393

Design Sale Total: £5,843,296 / $7,295,939 / €6,604,677

Combined Sale Total for the Week: £6,767,158 / $8,449,473 / €7,648,919

London, 27 April 2023

Lots Sold: 61 | Lots Offered: 61

Sold by Lot: 100% | Sold by Value: 100%

Domenico Raimondo, Head of Design, Europe, and Senior International Specialist, said, “This white glove sale marks a significant moment in the global market for Italian design. I would like to thank Antonio Fornaroli’s grandchildren for the trust that they put in us and for letting us tell the story of Gio Ponti’s closest friend and associate through the objects they grew up with. I would also like to thank our clients for their unwavering and continued support. Casa Fornaroli presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire unique and unseen works of the highest craftsmanship and celebrated the artistic collaborations and personal relationships that led to the creation of Fornaroli's Milanese apartment. This was a celebration of Fornaroli's lifelong friendship with Ponti and the spirit of artistic collaboration between the artists, craftsmen and designers he worked with, including Paolo Buffa, Fausto Melotti, Carlo Scarpa, among many others. This sale was a testament to the genius Italicus which characterised Italian Art and Design in the 20th century and its outstanding results are evidence of the international appeal of these works.”

Top Ten Lots

Lot	Description	Estimate	Price Achieved
250	Pablo Picasso, 'Footballeur', 1965	£8,000 - 12,000	£139,700 $174,206/€157,624
224	Gio Ponti, Two custom bookcases with integrated cabinets, circa 1955	£5,000 - 7,000	£76,200 $95,021/€85,976
242	Gio Ponti and Adriano Spilimbergo, Unique illuminated wardrobe with twelve integrated paintings, circa 1939	£10,000 - 15,000	£63,500 $79,185/€71,647
257	Lucio Fontana, 'Concetto spaziale', circa 1963	£5,000 - 7,00	£53,340 $66,515/€60,184
253	Gio Ponti and Piero Zuffi, Unique bookcase with cabinets and integrated lithograph, circa 1955 and 1951	£8,000 - 12,000	£53,340 $66,515/€60,184
247	Gio Ponti, Rare wall-mounted chest of drawers, circa 1939	£10,000 - 15,000	£43,180 $53,845/€48,720
214	Fausto Melotti, Untitled, 1959	£20,000 - 30,000	£40,640 $50,678/€45,854
234	Fausto Melotti, 'L'abbraccio', 1961	£15,000 - 20,000	£40,640 $50,678/€45,854
221	Gio Ponti, Rare extendable dining table, circa 1955	£15,000 - 20,000	£35,560 $44,343/€40,122
261	Gio Ponti, Prototype side table, circa 1955	£5,000 - 7,000	£27,940 $34,841/€31,525

Phillips’ Design Sale Realises £5.8 Million

London, 26 April 2023

Design Sale Total: £5,843,296 / $7,295,939 / €6,604,677

Lots Sold: 117 | Lots Offered: 140

Sold by Lot: 84% | Sold by Value: 96%

Domenico Raimondo, Head of Design, Europe, and Senior International Specialist, said, "We are thrilled with the result of £5.8 million and three world auction records achieved in the London Design auction. The soaring price of François-Xavier Lalanne's 'Grand Bouquetin' to over £1 million is a testament to the enduring appeal of Lalanne's fantastical bestiary. The sale also saw a great depth of bidding, with the Hans Coper bottle from the Henry Moore Family Collection sparking an eight-minute bidding war, and four Hans Coper pieces featuring in the top ten works sold, proving the robustness of the Coper market. Additionally, standout results were achieved for the Gio Ponti coffee table and desk from Casa di Fantasia, Milan, as the unwavering appetite for mid-century Italian design continues. Our global team strives to bring thoughtfully curated sales to the market that celebrate design in its many unique forms, and we look forward to carrying this momentum through the rest of the season."

Top Ten Lots

Lot	Description	Estimate	Price Achieved
39	François-Xavier Lalanne, 'Grand Bouquetin', 1999	£500,000 - 700,000	£1,112,800 $1,389,442/€1,257,798
27	François-Xavier Lalanne, 'Mouton de Pierre' and 'Mouton Transhumant', designed 1979 and 1988, executed 1993	£250,000 - 350,000	£660,400 $824,575/€746,450
98	Hans Coper, Monumental bottle with disc top, circa 1959	£120,000 - 180,000	£584,200 $729,432/€660,321
99	Hans Coper, Composite form with vertical impressions, circa 1972	£40,000 - 60,000	£215,900 $269,573/€244,032
13	Gio Ponti, Desk from Casa di Fantasia, Milan, circa 1951	£80,000 - 120,000	£203,200 $253,716/€229,677
53	Marc Newson, 'Nickel chair', 2006	£25,000 - 35,000	£203,200 $253,716/€229,677
96	Hans Coper, Important early pot, circa 1952	£150,000 - 200,000	£184,150 $229,930/€208,145
100	Hans Coper, Large ovoid vase with vertical impressions, circa 1972	£80,000 - 120,000	£177,800 $222,001/€200,967
46	Paul Dupré-Lafon, Console, circa 1955	£12,000 - 18,000	£88,900 $111,001/€100,484
14	Gio Ponti, Coffee table from Casa di Fantasia, Milan, circa 1951	£40,000 - 60,000	£82,550 $103,072/€93,306

New Auction Records

Lot	Description	Estimate	Price Achieved
17	Mario Asnago and Claudio Vender, Rare table, circa 1937	£12,000 - 18,000	£25,400 $31,714/€28,710
	*previous record price: 17,500 GBP set in 2019
26	Seguso, Set of three ceiling lights, 1950s	£20,000 - 30,000	£57,150 $71,357/€ 64,597
	*previous record price: 56,250 GBP set in 2020
87	John Ward, Large disc pot, circa 2002	£4,000 - 6,000	£31,750 $39,643/€35,887
	*previous record price: 21,420 GBP set in 2021

ABOUT PHILLIPS

Phillips is a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century art and design. With dedicated expertise in the areas of 20th Century and Contemporary 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, Geneva, and Hong Kong, 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. In addition to providing selling and buying opportunities through auction, Phillips brokers private sales and offers assistance with appraisals, valuations, and other financial services.

Visit www.phillips.com for further information.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.

PRESS CONTACTS:

LONDON – Katie Carder, Head of Press, Europe kcarder@phillips.com

LONDON – Anna Chapman, Press & Strategic Partnerships Officer achapman@phillips.com

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PHILLIPS LONDON – 30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX

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27 April 2023

Phillips’ Design Sales Achieve a Combined Total of £6.7 Million and a White Glove Sale for Casa Fornaroli