The market reached new heights this past fall with a number of significant works consigned amid the ongoing turbulence in the world. The successes have not forestalled major changes, though, most notably the auction calendar’s shift from a strictly seasonal schedule to presenting buying opportunities throughout the year, with a trend towards blending categories and curating thematic sales.

Mid-century Italian design stood out as the hot category this fall as record-breaking prices were achieved for pieces by Carlo Mollino, Lucio Fontana and Osvaldo Borsani, Stilnovo, and Piero Bottoni, to name a few. Historically, Design auctions have been dominated by French design, but the current results mark a turning point for Italian works.

An exceptional Carlo Mollino Dining Table from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum has been the top lot of the season so far. Created and executed in 1950, the table was designed for the seminal exhibition, Italy at Work: Her Renaissance in Design Today. Sponsored by the Italian and US governments, the traveling exhibition was a collaborative effort to stimulate Italy’s economy after World War II by showcasing modern Italian art and design to an international audience. The exhibition was first hosted by the Brooklyn Museum and then traveled to eleven American museums before the Italian government gifted it to the Brooklyn Museum where it remained until the auction this fall at Sotheby’s New York. The masterpiece soared about the presale estimate of $2-3M, achieving a record-breaking $6,181,350.

A few weeks later, Phillips London, known for consistently sourcing a strong Italian section, reported six new auction records for Italian designers. The top lot of the sale, Lucio Fontana and Osvaldo Borsani’s exquisite sculptural wall-mounted console that sold for £1,1,35,700, brilliantly captures the artist and architect’s dynamic interdisciplinary exchange and ability to stretch beyond their practices.

Building on the momentum of the fall results, the upcoming December auctions in Paris and New York offer works that will drive interest to and likely set new records in this ever-expanding collecting field. The French Art Deco masters are well-represented at Christie’s Paris and Sotheby’s New York with the former offering a matching armoire and music cabinet in straw marquetry by Jean Royère, directly from the original family, while Sotheby’s New York is entrusted to sell the Art Deco collection of the late Dr. Stephen E. Kelly. The sale runs over the course of two days and includes a richly lacquered, abstract Eileen Gray screen that was acquired from the Steven A. Greenberg sale at Christie’s in 2012 for $1,874,500.

Phillips New York presents a significant selection of artist-designed ceramics, a category that continues to grow in interest and appreciation. The cover lot of the December 9th Design auction is a monumental ceramic sculpture Black Bulerias by Peter Voulkos.  Created at the height of his career, Black Bulerias was one of three works that Voulkos sent to the 1959 Paris Biennale, where he won the Rodin Museum Prize. The sculpture was later exhibited at his solo show at MoMA in 1960.

The extensive ceramic offerings at Phillips include a selection of works by another celebrated American ceramicist, George Ohr, aka “the mad potter of Biloxi.” Ohr’s experimental, avant-garde ceramics are from the personal collection of the esteemed ceramics dealer Jason Jacques, an exhibitor at Design Miami.

Further highlights include a very rare and monumental bird rocker by Francois-Xavier Lalanne offered at Christie’s New York on December 4th. This piece, Oiseau de Jardin a Bascule is one of two unique examples of this form, with the other having been owned by the renowned dealer Alexander Iolas.

Over the course of the last eight months, the Design market has stood out as an enduring and bullish market. The latest lots reflect the consistent quality and depth that keeps collectors and enthusiasts engaged and optimistic. ◆

Pastel Advisory is an independent art consultancy firm specializing in 20th- and 21st- century decorative arts and design, offering clients guidance for acquisitions, deaccessions, collection management, and appraisals.