Claude Lalanne’s Record “Crocodile” Bureau Tops Sotheby’s $26.4 Million

At the December auctions of Sotheby’s 20 th century design was completed this week in New York with a prevailing market totaling $ 26.4 million. The US, which is much ahead of the high valuation of the series in the amount of 19.4 million. USA and with a solid 87.5% trilogy of auctions.

The morning auction was led by a set of three works from the high-ranking Crocodile series by Claude Lalanna, all of which came from the same important collection of Manhattan. The group was highlighted by the “Crocodile Bureau” table (estimated at 350/500 000 US dollars), which was sold for 2.2 million dollars – a new auction record for any “Crocodile”.

In the second half of the day, two dedicated sales of important Tiffany Studios were presented, the total result of which was 12.4 million Dollars, which is the highest Sotheby’s in one day of sales of Tiffany. These results accentuate the outstanding autumn season for design at Sotheby’s all over the world, with record auctions in Paris, which included the personal collection of the famous interior designer Jacques Grange.

The work of Lalan and the second-largest price of the artist at the auction. Two trio “Crocodile” chairs were sold by the same bidder for $ 1.2 million. And $ 975,000, respectively (estimated at $ 300 / $ 500,000 each). In the roles of Lalanna from the living model of the animal trio embodies the surreal influence that defines the work of the artist and demonstrates one of her most masterful interpretations of form, as well as her sharp dexterity and poetic imagination.