Sotheby’s New York will offer 20th century furniture, ceramics, glass and carpets from the Chicago home of collector Colleen Sullivan in a dedicated auction on 21 September 2011.
A Midcentury Eye: The Collection of Colleen Sullivan will showcase works by prominent European and American designers from the 1930s through the 1960s, featuring French design by Jean Royere, Rene Herbst and Charlotte Perriand; mirrors and objet by Line Vautrin; ceramics by Georges Jouve; Italian design by Ico Parisi and Franco Albini; decorative arts in glass by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte; Scandinavian design by Helge Vestergaard Jensen, Josef Frank and Hans Wegner; ceramics by Axel Saalto and Berndt Friberg; and American design by Samuel Marx, George Nakashima and Tommi Parzinger.
With the majority of the pieces estimated between $5,000 and $35,000,* the auction represents a rare opportunity for both new and seasoned collectors to acquire quality works from influential designers at an accessible price. The sale, which will also offer a selection of contemporary photographs and prints from Ms. Sullivan’s collection, will be on exhibition in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning 17 September, alongside the auctions of Contemporary Art and Important Jewels.
“It is a privilege to work with Colleen, a passionate collector whose eclectic mid-century aesthetic has produced a unique group of works,” commented James Zemaitis, Senior Vice President of Sotheby’s 20th Century Design department in New York. “This diverse collection represents her curatorial eye for the period. There are museum-quality European modernist works, such as a Superb Cabinet by Rene Herbst from his apartment in Paris (est. $40/60,000), an Exceptional “Wessex” Carpet by McKnight Kauffer (est. $60/80,000), and a completely original “Arc de Circle” Sofa by Jean Royere (est. $40/60,000). And there are wonderful and affordable groups of French, Scandinavian and American ceramics and glass that burst with color and form. The sale marks an ideal starting point for any young collector who is creating their first interior.”
Image: Per Lutkin, Collection of 33 Vases. Manufactured by Holmegaard Glassworks, Fensmark, Denmark. Glass. Est. $4/6,000. Photo: Sotheby’s.
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