IGI Logo

 In continuation of Design Week at Christie's, three important auctions showcasing the finest in 20th and 21st Century artistry, design and craftsmanship: Designs by Alberto and Diego Giacometti, Design & Tiffany will take place.

Designs by Alberto and Diego Giacometti - 10 AM

Kicking off the day is a highly curated selection of furniture, lighting and object designs by the iconic and celebrated brothers Alberto and Diego Giacometti. In the Stampa valley of Switzerland at the turn of the 20th century, the Giacometti brothers were born only a year apart and were raised in a family that valued creativity and originality. Their father was a painter who also designed all the furniture in the family's home, and their younger brother would go on to become an architect. The brothers shared a very close relationship and shortly after Alberto settled in Paris in the early 1920s, Diego joined him there and assumed the role of studio assistant.

Diego oversaw the creation of armatures and bases for Alberto's famous skeletal figures, patination of finished sculptures, and day to day studio upkeep. They collaborated with esteemed decorator Jean-Michel Frank, introducing a line of decorative arts and lighting in plaster, bronze and alabaster that remain as fresh and modern today as they were in the 1930s.

In return for Diego's loyal assistance, Alberto provided his brother with creative encouragement and introductions to many wealthy art patrons who would eventually become Diego's devoted clients. Diego's development as a sculptor and designer flourished during his years with Alberto, creating a distinctive oeuvre that transcends any one decorative style, and after Alberto's death in 1966, he devoted himself full-time to his art. This symbiotic relationship brought each brother much fulfillment and growth and yielded a tremendous creative output.

The sale features an impressive array of works of art from the estate of Jerry Ganz, San Francisco, California, including the spectacular 'Table aux Caryatides' ($800,000-1,200,000) and two 'Fauteuil tete de lionne' (each $200,000-300,000). Another highlight is 'Console aux deux oiseaux et coupelle' ($1,200,000-1,800,000), a rare console table by Diego, which features two of the artist's familiar birds, playfully approaching a coupe. This console epitomizes Giacometti's genius to create sculptural and highly poetic forms.

Design - 11AM

The Giacometti auction will be directly followed by Design, a various-owner sale of 158 lots exhibiting influential and rare 20th and 21st century designs by artists, architects, and designers-including Les Lalanne, Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand, Jean Royere, Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouve, Isamu Noguchi, Harry Bertoia, Gio Ponti, and Piero Fornasetti, to name only a few.

The sale is highlighted by several important collections, including Property from the Fundacion Zaldumbide Rosales with unique rug designs by Ivan Da Silva Bruhns, commissioned by Jules Leleu. Property from the Collection of Hida Takayama Museum of Art features iconic designs by the Viennese Secessionists Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and Otto Wagner. In particular the spectacular Presentation Clock by Koloman Moser, designed as a wedding gift for Margarete Wittgenstein and Jerome Stonborough in 1905, displays the quality in craftmanship of works of art from this era.

Early American design is showcased by the Steelcase Corporate Art Collection of early designs by Frank Lloyd Wright including the important executive desk master for S.C. Johnson & Son Administrative Building, Racine, Wisconsin and two Rare and Important High-Back Dining Chairs for the Francis W. Little House (each $120,000-180,000), formerly in the collection of Barbra Streisand.

Rare examples of 20th design masters include, Charlotte Perriand's 'En Forme' desk circa 1949 ($300,000-500,000), Property from an Important East Coast Collector, Jean Dunand's Collector's Cabinet, circa 1937, and Isamu Noguchi's Chess Table, designed circa 1944 ($300,000-500,000), and the 'Cloud' Ottoman, circa 1946 ($150,000-200,000), both Property from an Important Private Collection. Two important Prouve Visiteur Armchairs from the collection of his daughter, Francoise Gauthier, will be offered in the auction. Italian master Gio Ponti's commissions for the Villa Arreaza, Carcas, Venezuela, in addition to the design for the Via Dezza will highlight the offering of Italian works from the mid-century.

Tiffany - 5PM

The final live auction in the series is Tiffany. This sale comprises 43 celebrated Tiffany Studios lighting, Favrile glass and important mosaic work. Among the highlights is an extraordinary 'Laburnum' table lamp ($200,000-300,000), a superb 'Elaborate Peony' table lamp ($400,000-600,000), and a jewel-like deep blue 'Dragonfly' on its rare mosaic base ($250,000-350,000), which come to Christie's from The Private Collection of a New York Antiquarian. Other highlights include Tiffany Studios' largest and most praised 'Magnolia' floor lamp ($400,000-600,000) in addition to a spectacular example of the iconic 'Wisteria' table lamp on tree-form base ($400,000-600,000). Designed by Clara Driscoll in 1902, this extraordinary shade made of about 2,000 glass tiles in shades of blues, lavender, turquoise, pearlescent white, greens and orange epitomize Tiffany's deep inspiration from nature.

The sales will take place on December 9 at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. live in Christie's storied Rockefeller Center saleroom.
s