NEW YORK CITY — Topping Phillips’ December 17 Design sale was Jean Royere’s red-upholstered “Ours Polaire” sofa, which realized $487,500, towards the top of its $300/500,000 estimate. It was one of eight lots designed by Royere (French, 1902-1981) in the sale, five of which finished in the top ten prices achieved in the sale. According to Cordelia Lembo, Phillips’ head of design in New York City, the sale saw “strong international demand for exceptional examples of French postwar design.” The nearly 200-lot sale was 80 percent sold by lot and realized a total of $3.4 million. See these pages for a more focused review of the sale. For information, www.phillips.com or 212-940-1200.