Marianne Richter carpet. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. Wright image.
CHICAGO – Wright’s Scandinavian Design auction, to be held Thursday, May 16, at noon CDT, is the only sale in North America dedicated exclusively to the works of designers from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Outstanding for their harmonious marriage of material and form, works from Scandinavia have been the abiding benchmark for modern design since the 1920s. In reaction against the detached functionalism of the machine age, Nordic designers instead crafted honest forms which accentuated the qualities of the material used, whether wood, ceramic or glass. Humanistic, elegant and easy to live with, designs from Scandinavia remain among the most relevant of the 20th century.
A highlight of the Scandinavian Design sale is an exceptional collection of Swedish carpets from Märta Måås-Fjetterström AB, the studio that commissioned some of the most skilled carpet makers in the world including Barbro Nilsson and Marianne Richter. Significant among the collection of carpets is a Marianne Richter design of superior beauty. Woven in sunny shades of yellow and enlivened with subtle accents of beige and blue, the vivid colors and beautifully composed geometries of this carpet make it among the most memorable of Richter’s designs (estimate: $30,000-$40,000).
Also noteworthy among the offerings in the Scandinavian Design auction is a pair of rare lounge chairs by Danish designer, Ib Kofod-Larsen (estimate: $5,000-$7,000); a striking pair upholstered respectively in vibrant red and blue, these chairs feature solid teak frames and clean lines that are a signature of Kofod-Larsen’s designs. Two pairs of monumental sconces designed by Finnish designer Paavo Tynell figure prominently in the sale (estimate: $20,000-$30,000 each pair). Crafted of brass and silk, these dramatic sconces are among the finest lighting designs Tynell created.
Highly anticipated lots include a set of eight PK 9 chairs designed by Poul Kjaerholm (estimate: $20,000-$30,000) upholstered in rich cognac leather and the perennially popular Egg chair and ottoman by Arne Jacobsen (estimate: $10,000-$15,000). Also prominent in the sale is a collection of Georg Jensen silver, including a three-piece Pyramid coffee service (estimate: $7,000-$9,000) and a lovely vanity set (estimate: $5,000-$7,000).
Additional Scandinavian designers featured in the sale are Alvar Aalto, Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl and Poul Kjaerholm.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Marianne Richter carpet. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. Wright image. Paavo Tynell, pair of Important sconces from Kaivohuone restaurant, Helinski. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. Wright image. Swedish Grace Period sofa. Estimate: $9,000-$12,000. Wright image.
