Christie’s Auctions Decorative Arts

Christie’s auction house offered a large group of 20th century decorative artworks on Dec. 8.
Christie’s Auctions Decorative Arts
AN ELK FOR AUCTION: Christie's auction house will be selling this large bronze elk by French artists Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne at their Dec. 8 sale. (Aloysio Santos/The Epoch Times)
12/10/2009
Updated:
10/1/2015
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AN ELK FOR AUCTION: Christie's auction house will be selling this large bronze elk by French artists Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne at their Dec. 8 sale. (Aloysio Santos/The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK—Christie’s auction house offered a large group of 20th century decorative artworks on Dec. 8. The offerings include many examples of Tiffany lamps. Christie’s first offered Tiffany collections at a landmark sale in 1979 and they have since become an auction favorite.

Some lamps this year awere expected to fetch as much $900,000, such as the “Elaborate Peony” lamp made between 1913-1920. Also available were fragments of mosaics that once decorated the Tiffany showroom, formerly at 45th Steet and Madison Avenue.

A large collection of decorative works by French artists, and husband and wife Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne, or the Lalannes as they are collectively known was also on auction.

The Lalannes first attracted attention in the 1960s through widely publicized commissions from designer Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge. Taking their inspiration from nature, the Lallanes incorporated elk, bear, crocodiles, and other animals in benches, chairs, and other decorative objects.

Among the large-scale works by the Lallanes that were offered was “Grand Wapiti” a bronze elk that is currently on view in front of the auction house at Rockefeller Plaza. The piece, looking seasonably fitting and looking much like an oversized reindeer, was expected to bring $100,000 to $150,000.