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PREVIEW
[Thursday 17 January 2008]
ETTORE SOTTSASS AUCTION
Wednesday, 21st of May 2008, Espace Tajan
"Tribute to the creativity of a genius designer"
Tajan Auction House is proud to announce the upcoming Ettore Sottsass auction, as he represents one of the indispensable figures of contemporary design and architecture. The auction will be hold on May 21 and will take place in memory of the designer, who died lately at the end of 2007.
For this occasion an extraordinary catalogue will be published. Our Design Department already honoured Ettore Sottsass by placing his world-famous library �Liana� on the cover of their last catalogue for the auction that was hold at the 21st November of last year. During his career the multitalented Designer was concerned with all aspects and expressions of the decorative arts and industrial design: ceramics, glassware, jewellery, furniture, carpets or sculptures. Due to his unique taste for eclecticism and his non-conformance he became a source of inspiration for current and future designer generations.
The auction consists of over a hundred characteristic pieces by the artists, produced during his long lasting and fertile career.
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007)
Set of five monumental totems �Flavia�
Totem Nr.1: 77, 56 inches
Totem Nr.2: 74, 02 inches
Totem Nr.3: 64, 96 inches
Totem Nr.4: 64, 96 inches
Totem Nr.5: 77, 95 inches
Each element is signed �Flavia Bitossi Italy E. Sottsass 1996� and bears a fabrication number.
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Library from the collection �Ruins� (1992)
Bears a brassy tag, engraved with �Ettore Sottsass 1992 � Design Gallery Milano�
Height 82, 68 inches � Length 62, 99 inches � Depth 16, 69 inches
Estimation: 23456/32252 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Cabinet �Mobile Giallo� from the collection �Bharata� (1988)
Height 57, 48 inches � Length 52, 56 inches � Depth 18, 11 inches
Estimation: 20524/26388 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Small, cubic table �Gopuram� from the collection �Bharata� (1988)
Height 15, 75 inches � Length 15, 75 inches � Depth 15, 75 inches
Estimation: 5864/8796 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Low table �Rosa Giallo Bianco� (first edition) from the collection �Bharata� (1988)
Height 15, 75 inches � Length 15, 75 inches � Depth 15, 75 inches
Estimation: 5864/8796 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Spectacular Library �Altro Destino� from the collection �Ruins� (1992)
Bears a tag with �Ettore Sottsass � Design Gallery Milano� and is numbered 6/9
Height 61, 42 + 35, 83 inches � Length 92, 52 inches � Depth 23, 23 inches
Estimation: 36650/51310 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Important console �Acropoli� (1988) from the collection �Bharata� (1988)
Height 72, 44 inches � Length 89, 76 inches � Depth 23, 23 inches
Estimation: 21990/29320 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Vase �German Silver� (1988) from the collection �Bharata� (1988)
Height 20, 47 inches
Estimation: 9529/12461 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Vase �Ombrello di Buddha� (1988) from the collection �Bharata� (1988)
Height 16, 38 inches � Depth 10, 24 inches
Estimation: 10262/12461 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Vase �Gialo, gialo bianco� from the collection �Bharata� (1985)
Height 20, 47 inches
Estimation: 10262/12461 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Important �Vase B� from the collection �Twenty-seven Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flower�
Bears a brassy tag, numbered 12/20
Height 14, 96 inches � Length 19, 69 inches
Estimation: 8796/11728 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007) � Design Gallery Milano
Important �Vase Z� from the collection �Twenty-seven Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flower�
Bears a brassy tag, numbered 12/20
Height 13, 39 inches � Length 26, 18 inches
Estimation: 8796/11728 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007)
Spectacular console �Tartar�
Bears an etiquette �Ettore Sottsass � Memphis � 1985�
Height 31, 89 inches � Length 74, 02 inches � Depth 34, 65 inches
Estimation: 8796/11728 $
Tajan commemorates Ettore Sottsass personal creations with two beautiful jewellery pieces designed in very different stages of his life and career: a golden collier with crystal stones from the year 1967 (estimated 26388 /32252 $) and a golden ring with onyx and diamonds from the year 1984, created for the collector Cleto Munari (estimated 7330/11728 $).
Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007)
Golden necklace with quartz pearls (1967)
Comes with the original drawing, signed and dated
Estimation: 26388/32252 $
We also present famous examples of his furniture design, like his celebrated library �Casablanca�, designed for Memphis in 1981, his table �Palm Springs� or a historic marble table from 1965. Lamps like �Pausania� for Artemide, glassware for Memphis or Venini (vase �Malide�, vase �Atamante�, ceiling lamp �Firenze�), ceramics for Bitossi or the S�vres Manufacture (porcelain vase �Justine� from 1994, estimated 4398/5864 $) will be part of the auction.
Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007)
Vase �Justine� (2006)
Bears signature and date
Height: 12, 99 inches
Estimation: 4398/5864 $
Ettore SOTTSASS (1917-2007)
Mirror �Ultrafragola�
Height 76, 38 inches � Length 39, 37 inches
Estimation: 10262/13194 $
Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007)
Memphis (�diteur)
Table � palm Springs � (1984)
Height 30, 31 inches � Length 39, 96 inches� Length 84, 65 inches
Estimation: 7330/8796 $
Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) - Bitossi (�diteur)
Set of three totems
Totem 1: 17, 52 inches
Totem 2: 7, 09 inches
Totem 3: 18, 31 inches
Signed �E. Sottsass - Bitossi - Montelupo�
Estimation: 1466/2199 $
Afterwards the auction will continue with a range of important pieces rating from 1982 to 2002. The objects got delivered by an American collector�s couple. The collection consists of furniture and lamps, like the �Tahiti� or �Treetops� lamp, side table �Ivory� or table �Donald�. It also includes silverware, like a pair of �Alaska� vases or the spectacular silver table �Murmansk� (estimated 14660/21990 $), ceramic vases (�Tigris�, �Nilo�, �Euphrates�) and glassware (�Mizar�, �Deneb�, �Sirio�, �Altair�).
Furthermore a set of 5 monumental totems from the �Flavia_series� is going to be auctioned. Sottsass designed these famous pieces already in 1964, but they were not produced until 1994 in an edition of 10 (estimated 117280/146600 $).
Emblematic pieces, like the red plastic Typewriter � Valentine �, created for Olivetti in 1969 or a telephone, designed for the company Enorme and pieces designed by other members of the Memphis group (Michele de Lucchi, George J.Sowden, Aldo Cibic) will also be an integral part of the auction.
Because of his feeling for colours, his nonconformity and the unconstrained power of his extravagant and imaginative creations Ettore Sottsass became the most famous member of the Memphis group and an admirable Designer.
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Information :
Marie-C�cile Michel
+33 1 53 30 30 64
Press relations, photographs :
Romain Monteaux Sarmiento
+33 (0)1 53 30 30 68