From Phillips’ auction, ‘Light & Aerie: The Collection Of Lee F Mindel, FAIA‘: Ettore Sottsass, Jr., bookshelf, 1985. Estimate: $6,000-8,000. Lot 264. Photography: courtesy of Michael Moran/OTTO
From Phillips’ auction, ‘Light & Aerie: The Collection Of Lee F Mindel, FAIA‘: Shelton, Mindel & Associates, pair of prototype easy chairs, designed for Knoll, 1995. Estimate: $6,000 – 8,000. Lot 231. Photography: courtesy of Michael Moran/OTTO
From Phillips’ ‘Design’ auction: Yves Klein, ‘Table d’or’, designed 1961. Estimate $20-30,000. Lot 19
From Phillips’ ‘Design’ auction: Jean Prouvé, ‘Armoire’ model no. 101, designed 1956. Estimate $30,000-40,000. Lot 63
From Phillips’ ‘Design’ auction: Lucie Rie, ‘vase with flaring lip’, circa 1960. Estimate: $8,000-12,000. Lot 56
Phillips’ ‘Design Evening Sale’: Carlo Mollino, Unique ‘specchio-armadio’ and adjustable wall light, from the bedroom of the Ada and Cesare Minola House, Turin. Circa 1944-1946. Estimate: $250,000-300,000. Lot: 425
From Sotheby’s ‘Important Design’ auction: Donald Judd, ‘Chair’, number 4 from an edition of 10 and production of 2 proofs. Produced by Cooper/Kato New York. Estimate: $50,000-70,000. Lot 365
From Sotheby’s ‘Important Design’ auction: Rick Owens, ‘Pair of Stag Chairs’, 2007. Number 1 and 3 from an edition of 20 produced by Rick Owens. Both signed. Estimate: $20,000-30,000. Lot 366
From Sotheby’s ‘Important Design’ auction: Wharton Esherick, ‘Console Table’ circa 1960. Commissioned directly from the artist by Nat and Rose Rubison. Estimate: $10,000-15,000. Lot 343
From Sotheby’s ‘Important Design’ auction: Gio Ponti, pair of “Diamond” lounge chairs from the residence of Lisa Ponti, Milan. Circa 1953, produced by Cassina. Estimate: $100,000-150,000. Lot 317
‘December is for design,’ declares the Phillips catalogue ahead of its auctions this week. Especially in New York. Here, the auction house’s trio of sales on 13 December are swiftly followed by a bumper auction from Sotheby’s the following day.
Kicking off the action is Phillips’ ‘Design’ sale at 10am, featuring key works by Jean Prouvé, Lucie Rie and Yves Klein. Architect Lee F Mindel’s cache of 20th-century classics will go under the hammer at 2pm, while the headline act from the Design Evening Sale (at 5pm) is Carlo Mollino’s ‘Specchio-Armadio’, a unique vanity unit from the Turin home of Ada and Cesare Minola.
’Important Design’ is Sotheby’s riposte. Amid the collection of European and American treasures going up for auction at 2pm on 14 December are a pair of Diamond armchairs by Gio Ponti and Venetian glasswares.
Above are the lots to watch at the New York design auctions.
Read next: Lee F Mindel’s design collection goes up for sale – along with his home
