Starting tomorrow, December 5, New Yorkers will have a chance to see up close over one hundred examples of art glass by René Lalique—one of the leading names in the decorative arts—when Heritage Auctions begins the preview for its inaugural 20th century design auction in Manhattan. For those that can’t make the sale in person, we’ve gathered a slideshow of some of our favorites, presented here in extreme detail to capture the exceptional beauty of Lalique’s organic design (To see full images click here).
Assembled from six private collections—including the personal collection of Lloyd Glasgow who joined the company in the 1950s and retired as president in the 1990s—the Lalique portion of the sale presents a chronological history of the firm’s glasswork from art deco icons such as the “Victoire” mascot (estimate $15,000-20,000) to contemporary limited edition works, including a full-size table of brilliant amber glass with a cactus-pattern pedestal base (estimate $80,000-120,000) that was originally designed by Marc Lalique in 1951 but produced in 2006. While many pieces in the sale are rare, several—such as perfume bottles and glass brooches—have modest estimates that are the perfect enticement for budding collectors.
Other highlights from the more than 800-lot design sale, which takes place on December 10, include a Tiffany Studios bamboo floor lamp (estimate $200,000-300,000), a gilt-bronze chair designed by Diego Giacometti (estimate $60,000-80,000), Harry Bertoia’s prototype for the altar screen designed for Eero Saarinen’s Kresge Chapel at MIT (estimate $20,000-30,000), and a number of art deco and mid-century works from the dealer and collector Michael Playford.
The viewing and auction will be held at Heritage’s New York gallery at 104 East 25th Street, 3rd Floor. To see the full catalogue or to place a bid online visit www.ha.com.
