Design

For our summer auction on July 2nd, we are delighted to present over 400 objects representing the design history of the 20th and 21st centuries. The sale opens with a rare and remarkable piece: the slat chair ‘ti 1a’ by Marcel Breuer. This version, dating to 1924, is constructed solely from wooden slats of identical cross-section and textile straps. Breuer introduced a horizontal brace to the backrest in this second iteration—a feature absent in his initial 1922 design. This significant work of design history is estimated at €50,000 to €70,000.

Further highlights include three sophisticated lighting designs by the French designer Serge Mouille. His table lamp Cocotte, estimated at €6,000 to €8,000, captivates with its delicate structure and versatility—it can also be mounted as a wall light. Designed in 1957 for the dormitories of an educational institution in Cachan, France, the matching wall lamp, produced exclusively for this purpose, is valued at €4,000 to €5,000. That same year, Mouille introduced the wall-mounted Petit Saturne lamp at the Salon des arts ménagers in Paris. Manufactured by Steph Simon, this model is estimated at €5,000 to €6,000.

A key piece of French design not to be overlooked is the table PJ-TA-01-A by Pierre Jeanneret. Alongside his cousin, Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris (better known as Le Corbusier), Jeanneret designed public buildings and interiors for Chandigarh, the new capital of the Indian state of Punjab, beginning in 1950. Due to its functional dimensions, the PJ-TA-01-A table was used in cafeterias of administrative buildings, university dining halls, and medical facilities. Designed around 1960, the table is estimated at €20,000 to €30,000 and will also be offered on July 2nd.

In the field of contemporary design, Brazilian brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana are represented with a selection of striking seating objects. Their Vermelha armchair, created in 1993, is a standout piece: 500 meters of red rope appear to wrap chaotically around a steel frame, forming a sculptural seating shell. Since 1998, the Milan-based manufacturer Edra has produced the Vermelha series. Owing to the complexity of its fabrication, a dedicated artisan at Edra was specially trained to construct it. Originally, the Campanas themselves required a full week to complete a single chair. The Vermelha offered here was made by Edra and carries an estimate of €4,000 to €5,000.

Additional highlights include modern design classics such as the 93-4 writing desk by Nanna Ditzel, estimated at €5,000 to €7,000, as well as an exceptionally large ceiling lamp from Ingo Maurer’s Uchiwa series. Composed of 32 rice paper fans, the lamp is sure to delight collectors and will be offered with an opening price of €18,000.

Schedule Auctions 178

Highly sought-after design classics and pop designs from Campana to Panton

The international bidding community for design was particularly enthusiastic about artistic designs at the last auction on July 2. Verner Panton, represented by furniture, ring lights, and fabrics in fantastic color combinations, attracted the interest of passionate private collectors. The purple recliner with stool from the ‘Welle’ series from 1969/70 was sold for €6,500 and the bright blue ‘Grand Hotel Europa Lugano’ carpet from 1971 went to private collectors.

Ingo Maurer, already a legend during his lifetime, is now also one of the classics in the auction trade. Among the popular ceiling and wall lights with ‘Uchiwa’ fans, the ‘Hana II’ from 1974 was particularly successful. After a fierce battle, a customer on the phone prevailed at €9,500. The slightly newer (1998) rare table lamp ‘Allodri’ from the ‘MaMo Nouchi’ series was a pleasant surprise. With a starting price of €400, several bidders online and on the phone bid it up to €1,000.

The often conceptually designed furniture pieces by the Campana brothers also exert a great fascination, such as the ‘Vermelha’ armchair from 1993, which changed hands for €3,600. Objects and furniture by French star architect Philippe Starck continue to be in high demand.

Icons of design history continue to enjoy unbroken demand. The highest bid of the auction went to the table ‘PJ-TA-01-A’, 1960-61 by Pierre Jeanneret, acquired from a French private collection, for €16,500. This was followed by Tobia Scarpa's table with six chairs ‘Afrika’ from the ‘Artona Series’, designed in 1975. Serge Mouille's table lamp ‘Cocotte’ (designed in 1957), with its strikingly minimalist design, is particularly sought after by art-loving collectors and achieved a hammer price of €8,500. Designs by Gaetano Pesce, Marc Newson, Isamu Noguchi, and Josef Frank—to name just a few of the renowned designers featured in our 450-lot offering—all confirmed their estimated prices.

Bidders demonstrated an eye for the extraordinary in small items when they bid €600 to €3,000 for two rare door handles by Barovier & Toso from the 1960s. You can find more exciting items in our post-sale until August 1, 2025.