Sotheby's Hosts Wyeth 20th Anniversary Design Auction in New York
by Stephen Pulvirent
The downtown design store teams up with the auction giant for a highly-curated sale of rare pieces from well-known designers.
Wyeth Auction
Armchairs by Finn Juhl
This pair of model No. NV45 armchairs dates to 1945, when they were made in Copenhagen by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder. They still retain the original grey wool upholstery that complements the curved walnut frames.
Lot 390. Estimate: $25,000-30,000
Roof Top Chandelier by Paavo Tynell
This rare patinated and lacquered brass chandelier was designed and manufactured in Finland circa 1960, but was intended for the U.S. market. It comes with the original English-language labels as well as American wiring.
Minguren II Dining Table by George and Mira Nakashima
This one-off dining table is made of English burled oak with Indian rosewood butterfly keys and clearly shows off the natural characteristics of the wood. It's approximately five-and-a-half-feet long and was hand-crafted by Mira Nakashima in 1991.
Farsta Vessels by Wilhelm Kåge
The three rich blue glazed earthenware vessels were produced in the late 1940s at Sweden's famous Gustavsberg workshop, of which Kåge was the founder.
Lot 351. Estimate: $3,000-5,000
Table Lamp by Gino Sarfatti
This unusual spherical lamp is made of matte nickel-pIated brass, glass, and rubber, and was produced by Arteluce in 1965. It is in original condition and even still has the producer's decal label attached.
Lot 475. Estimate: 20,000-30,000
Screen by Edgar Tafur
The Colombian architect and artist originally created this nearly nine-foot-long and four-foot-tall sculptural screen for a bank in Columbus, Ohio, in 1960. It's made of a mix of gilt and enameled bronze, steel, and copper.
Six Panels by Peter Gee
The British pop artist created many colorful geometric paintings while working in New York City, including these six panels from 1970. Each is eight-feet-tall and two-feet-wide, and as a set they can fill even the largest spaces.
Lot 488. Estimate: $8,000-12,000
Spiral Ceiling Light by Poul Henningsen
Henningsen originally designed this massive ceiling light for the Main Hall at the University of Århus, which had lofty ceilings over 60 feet high. Creating the spiral-shaped aluminum shade proved difficult and labor intensive, so very few of these lights were ever produced.
Wall Unit by Finn Juhl
This all-in-one unit was designed by Juhl in 1953, with this example made just a few years later. There are 23 shelves and four storage elements, and it's made of Oregon pine and brass. It could prove to be one of the great bargains of the sale.
Easy Chairs by Hans Wegner
The Model No. JH 521 armchair is one of Wegner's most recognizable designs, though originals like these two lots are hard to come by. Both retain the original upholstery and leather detail executed by Johannes Hansen in Copenhagen in the early 1950s.
Lots 333 and 334. Estimate: $60,000-80,000 each
In addition to it's routine design sale this week, Sotheby's is hosting Wyeth: The Art of Timeless Design on June 7 in New York City. Wyeth, a New York design store specializing in vintage Scandinavian furniture and homewares, turns 20 this year and is also opening a new, larger showroom in Tribeca. To celebrate, the shop teamed up with Sotheby's to present the 204 lots on sale that include everything from wooden kitchen accessories estimated to go for a few hundred dollars to rare Hans Wegner chairs that could fetch more than $60,000 each.
Wyeth's founder, John Birch, played an integral role in the selection process. "The common thread of this sale is John himself, " says Jodi Pollack, co-worldwide head of the auction house's 20th century design department. "Wyeth's collection is such a personal reflection of John's tastes, his interesting eye—it would be impossible for anyone to assemble this group [of furnishings] without him."
The sale begins at 2:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 7. Here are 10 of our favorite lots from the sale, including a few unexpected finds.
tagged with auction, sotheby's, new york city, wyeth, hans wegner, john birch