Design

At the International Design Auction on 26 June, top-class design from an entire century will be on call.

Right at the start, a range of furniture by the Italian designer Ettore Zaccari will be offered: The sideboard, the sofa table, the shelf and the two armchairs stand out particularly due to their oriental setting in white on the black lacquered base (Cat.-No. 185-188). Unlike his Milan contemporaries, in the 1910s Ettore Zaccari abandoned playful elements such as woodturning, ivory inlays and parchment elements. The furniture he designed was robust yet decorative, and his oriental decorations met the tastes of Milanese society and were as popular with collectors today as they were then.

A particularly rare object, which will certainly attract the attention of lovers of the 60s design, is the desk 'Diapason' by Marzio Cecchi (cat.-no. 426) which comes with € 8.000 to the appeal. Also the armchair 'I feltri' from 1986/87 by Gaetano Pesce (cat.-no. 228; starting price € 1.800) made of thick felt, where the robust lower part is impregnated with thermosetting resin. The seat is attached to the structure with hemp ropes, which also surround the upper part of the seat. The armchair is the result of research and was manufactured using a specially patented technique from 1987.

Scandinavian design is represented this time with two particularly beautiful sets of armchairs by the Danish Hans J. Wegner. The twelve copies of the 'China Chair' (cat.-no. 228; starting price € 15.000) are a special version made of Cuban mahogany wood which is no longer produced today. The model of the second set of Hans J. Wegner chairs - 'The Chair' (Cat.-No. 235; starting price € 15.000) might seem familiar to some from the famous television debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon at CBS in 1961. Also by Wegner is the armchair 'Papa Bear' (cat.-no. 274). This armchair, which actually runs under the number 'AP 19', owes its name to a critic who described the armrests as a 'big bear hugging you from behind'. Somewhat less organic and far more futuristic is the 'Ball Chair' by Eero Aarnio (cat.-no. 388). Produced by Adelta Oy, Helsinki, the white fibreglass ball with the black textile cover is available for € 2,300. The 'Starbrick' light by Olafur Eliasson, a design from 2009, will be auctioned twice. The sculptural luminaire is a light module and can be used as a pendant, floor or table lamp. Currently not in production the two lights have a low starting price of € 3,000 each.

Lovers of the classics will be pleased about the early version of the armchair 'Plastic armchair - LAX' on earlier 'X-base'. The lemon yellow chair features Miller / Zenith stickers, coarse fibreglass structure, large 'shockmounts' and moulded glass fibre cord (cat.-no. 265; starting price € 1.200) and is a real collector's item.

Our second June auction, International Design, seamlessly followed the success of the previous day, with nearly every other lot finding a new owner.

All kinds of stunning seats, ranging from armchairs to couches and beyond, from decades of design history were quite popular, and often the subjects of exciting bidding wars. The royal blue armchair ‚Peacock‘ from Dror Benshetrit, had a call price of 2,500 EUR. The price quickly doubled, and ultimately, a determined telephone bidder secured the beautiful piece for a price of 6,250 EUR. Frank Gehry’s armchair ‚Cross Check‘ (estimated price 900 - 1,200 EUR) had already caught the eyes of some visitors during the preview. This high level of interest led to the chair going to Italy for 4,250 EUR. The ‚Safari‘ seating object of the Archizoom Associati group, which can comfortably fit 6 people, was bought for 10,000 EUR.

Among the top lots of the auction is the desk ‚Diapason‘ by Marzio Cecchi (estimated price 8,000 - 10,000 EUR), which found a new owner in Switzerland for 10,625 EUR, and Serge Mouille’s three-armed floor lamp (estimate 5,000 - 6,000 EUR), which, for 6,600 EUR, is remaining in Germany.

Furniture and lamps from well-known designers and architects are a worthwhile and lasting investment, as proven by this auction’s results. The acquisition of a design classic also offers an added ecological value and gives the connoisseur’s pieces a second life.

Unsold objects can still be purchased in the post-auction sale, which lasts until July 26th.