The top lot of the auction
was the Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann monumental gilt bronze mirror
that sold for $262,500.
Modernist
Materials Tally $3.1 Million at Phillips
By David S. Smith
NEW YORK CITY -- A prime selection of materials representing the
modernist movements of the Twentieth Century were offered at
Phillips de Pury & Luxembourg on Wednesday, June 11, with
strong prices posted throughout the three sessions. The auction
grossed an impressive $2,675,164 from the 143 lots sold in the
morning and afternoon sessions and an additional $502,647 for the
evening sale bringing the tally to more than $3.1 million.
James Zemaitis, Phillips' Twentieth Century specialist commented
that he was "extraordinarily pleased with the outcome of the
auction. We established a world record price paid at auction
twice, and within three lots of each other, for Nakashima...
Midcentury Modern Masters continue to trend upward, American
Modernism of the 1930s did extremely well and cutting edge
high-end design by Ruhlmann and Eileen Gray proved to be
extraordinarily hot."
Items by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann proved to be most popular with
many of the items exceeding their presale estimates by
substantial amounts. Leading the morning session was a striking
Ruhlmann monumental gilt bronze circular wall mirror, circa 1927,
that had buyers on the floor and telephones in heated
competition. The mirror, measuring 511/4 inches in diameter, was
suspended with two bronze-colored silk ropes and carried a
provenance of L'Arc en Seine, Paris
The lot, estimated at $100/150,000, opened to the floor for
bidding at $80,000 and bounced back and forth between a bidder
standing in the rear of the room and a telephone bidder. A woman
seated on the aisle midway in the gallery attempted to get in on
the quick paced action several times and was finally recognized
at the $130,000 mark. Bids advanced between the two buyers in the
gallery for a while until both had finished at $190,000. From
there a new phone bidder became active and competed with the
original telephone bidder with the lot finally selling at
$262,500.
Other Ruhlmann items included a vitrine made of silvered bronze,
ebony of Macassar and glass. The piece was marked on the back
with a "B" atelier mark and also marked "Ruhlmann." Estimated at
$100/150,000, the vitrine sold just above the high estimate to a
phone bidder at $158,000. An alabaster and gilt bronze wall
appliqué, circa 1925, sold well above the $20/30,000 presale
estimates bringing $52,580.
An Eileen Gray "brick" screen sold for $180,000 to Manhattan
dealer Tony DeLorenzo.
A Ruhlmann lamp, circa 1925, that had been consigned by "an
important European collector," featured a flaring cylindrical
alabaster shade with rolled edges at the top, a bronze support
that was fixed to a square black marble base also did well
selling to a phone bidder between estimates at $74,090.
Not all of the Ruhlmann items in the auction fared as well,
however, as a "Cailloute" wall appliqué from the Michael and Tin
Chow collection that had been sold at Sotheby's in 1998 was
passed at $44,000 against a $50/70,000 presale estimate and an
ebony of Macassar low table by Ruhlmann for the London showrooms
of Yardley's, circa 1931, was bought in at $100,000 against a
$150/200,000 estimate.
Items by Eileen Gray also saw a great deal of interest from both
the American trade and international private collectors. The
standout item by Gray offered at Phillips was a "brick" screen in
white paint, which has been referred to as one of the "highest
profile objects identified with the emergence of radical
Modernism in design in the 1920s." The screen, which had been on
loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the past 15 years, was
described by Zemaitis as having achieved "Iconic status. It is a
seminal work by Gray and her most identifiable design," he said.
"Gray made a small number of these screens, trying different
panel sizes, using plain panels and panels with a slightly raised
central rectangle, and changing the number and width of the rows
and consequently the proportions," states the Phillips catalog.
Only a dozen screens were recorded, seven in black and the
remaining five in white, two of which were first presented to the
public in the 1923 Salon des Artistes Decorateurs in the
"Bedroom-Boudoir for Monte Carlo" that she created.
The condition of this particular piece has always been of
concern, as it had been while in the hands of The Met.
Conservationists ultimately decided that the flaking original
paint should be left alone.
The rare screen failed to sell during the auction against what
was described by the auction house as an "aggressive"
$200/300,000 presale estimate, although the lot sold privately
before the conclusion of the auction for $180,000 to Tony
DeLorenzo.
The firm's Twentieth Century specialists Alexander Pope
(London), Victoria Thiessen and James Zemaitis with two of the
six chrome tubular steel chairs by Wassili and Ghans Luckhardt
that sold for $152,500.
"Eileen Gray is regarded as being one of the hottest designers
amongst the serious collectors today," stated Zemaitis, and as if
one Gray screen was not rare enough, Phillips offered a second.
This one, a four-paneled white perforated steel screen that was
originally conceived for the guest bedroom of Gray's "E-1027"
home, was designed circa 1930-1932.
Zemaitis described the screen as "sublime" and "gorgeous" and
commented that the piece had attracted the attention of numerous
European private collectors. "There is a great deal of her
material in New York collections that left Europe after the
Sotheby's Monaco sale in 1980 and the Europeans want it back.
They are just dying to get their hands on it." Despite the French
trade "suffering badly" right now, Zemaitis said that French and
European private collectors are currently stronger than ever.
Several French collectors were reported to be bidding by
telephone as the Gray items crossed the auction block. The white
perforated steel screen, estimated at $50/70,000, opened to the
floor for bidding at $40,000 and bounced back and forth between
the room and the telephones, eventually narrowed to just the
telephones with it selling at $107,550. The item was reportedly
sold in the 1980 auction for $4,000.
A pair of Eileen Gray chromed steel dining chairs that carried a
provenance of the designer and Cobra and Bellamy, London, and had
an exhibition history including the Victoria and Albert Museum,
the Scottish Arts Council and the Museum of Modern Art, sold well
above the $32/38,000 estimates bringing $52,140.
A set of six bent and chrome plated tubular steel chairs with
bent and black stained plywood seats and backs by Wassili and
Ghans Luckhardt also garnered a great deal of interest. These
chairs listed a provenance of the Palace of the Maharaja of
Indore, India, used in the ballroom and the theater. These chairs
were reportedly among a small number of items that were held back
by the consignor of the historic Sotheby's Monaco auction in 1980
and were later sold privately.
The chairs, described as being "resolutely modern is every
respect," opened for bidding at $80,000 with two phone bidders
pushing the pieces to a selling price of $152,500.
Also from the Maharaja's Palace was a pair of painted wooden side
tables designed by Eckart Muthesius and executed by Tischlerei
Johann Eckel, Berlin-Lankwitz. In an elegant minimalist style,
the tables sold within estimates at $77,675.
"Minguren II," designed by George Nakashima and executed by his
daughter in 1992, hit a record $130,500.
Two record prices paid at auction for George Nakashima were
established within three lots of each other during the later
stages of the afternoon session, first as an important
"Frenchman's Cove" dining table and chairs, circa 1968-1969, sold
at $95,600. Two lots later the record was eclipsed by a stunning
George Nakashima designed monumental "Minguren II" dining table
that was executed by his daughter in Mira in 1992. The table,
which Nakashima designed and picked the wood for prior to his
death, was finished by his daughter. Estimated at $80/120,000,
the piece established a record price paid at auction for
Nakashima at $130,500.
"Midcentury Modern artists such as Noguchi and Bertoia continue
to trend upward," stated Zemaitis. The Phillips specialist was
quick to point to an early "in-50" Isamu Noguchi table by Herman
Miller that carried a presale estimate of $5/7,000, yet was
knocked down at $17,925, while a Noguchi-designed rocking stool
manufactured by Knoll and estimated at $10/12,000 realized a
strong $25,095. "These two lots are indicative of the bull market
for Noguchi," he said.
Harry Bertoia sculpture also commanded solid prices with a
sounding sculpture, circa 1960, selling at $38,240, while a
slightly less elaborate sounding sculpture realized $29,875.
Highlights from the evening session included a gilt bronze torso
by Boris Lovet-Lorski, circa 1935, that realized twice the high
estimate selling at $48,995, a pair of Marc Newson "Coast" chairs
were hammered down at $11,950, as was a Pablo Picasso lithograph
entitled "Le Pitchet Noir et la Tete de Morte."
Prices include the buyer's premium charged.
