Lalanne Mirrors Smash Design Auction Records | Bidding Battles | Sotheby's
Sotheby's New York auction featured the legendary Lalanne “Claud Lan” suite – fifteen one‑of‑a‑kind mirrors originally commissioned by collector Eve San Lohal. The bidding war began at $8.5 million and surged through incremental raises, ultimately closing at $28.5 million. The price more than triples the opening bid and eclipses the previous design‑art benchmark set by the “Epoptam” sale in December. Auctioneer Benjamin Dollar repeatedly highlighted the rarity of the ensemble, noting it as “a world record for any work of design.” Collectors in the room and online competed fiercely, with bids jumping in $500,000 increments until the final hammer. The sale signals robust appetite for iconic mid‑century design as an alternative asset class, reinforcing Sotheby’s role as a market maker for high‑end design and bolstering confidence among investors seeking tangible, culturally significant assets.
Why Do You Recognize These 16th Century Dishes? Inside the World of Iznik Pottery | Sothebys
The video explores the history and distinctive visual language of Iznik pottery, the Ottoman ceramic tradition that flourished from the late 1400s to the early 1600s. It explains how Ottoman potters initially copied Chinese blue‑and‑white porcelain before expanding the palette with...
A Human with a Horse Head. Why? | Sotheby's
The video examines a 22‑centimeter Tang‑Dynasty sancai ceramic that fuses a horse’s head with a human torso, a rare hybrid created in 7th‑8th century China. The piece, part of a broader tradition of three‑color glazed figures, was originally intended to...
This Rothko Changed How I See Painting Forever | Sotheby’s
The video tours a recently unveiled Rothko, a monumental canvas dominated by an unprecedented shade of purple. Hosted by a seasoned collector, the presenter frames the work as a turning point in the artist’s late period, noting its size and...
How a 100‑Year‑Old Jewelry House Turned Lace Into Metal | Sotheby's
The video chronicles the century‑old Italian jeweler Buccellati, famed for turning gold and silver into lace‑like forms. It traces the house from founder Mario Buccellati’s 1920s ring—still in its original Milano‑stamped box—to the modern creations that echo his delicate aesthetic. Key...
The Most Important Mirrors Outside of Versailles: Claude Lalanne's Magnum Opus | Sotheby's
Sotheby’s is presenting the sale of Claude Lalanne’s monumental mirror ensemble, originally commissioned by fashion legend Yves Saint‑Laurent for his Paris residence. The 15‑piece installation, now part of the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection, represents Lalanne’s first major foray into reflective...
$10K vs $100K per Carat Sapphire: Can You Tell the Difference? | Sotheby's
The Sotheby’s video pits a $10,000‑per‑carat Kashmir sapphire against a $100,000‑per‑carat Ceylon stone, asking whether the price gap reflects a real difference in value. It explains three drivers: rarity (Kashmir mined only until 1887 and now extinct), optical performance (Kashmir’s velvety,...
Monet Landscape Sets New Auction Record in France | Sotheby's
Sotheby’s Paris auction featured Claude Monet’s 1901 canvas, “Le Matin,” which had not been publicly displayed since 1928. The work sold for a record €8.35 million, the highest price ever achieved for a Monet at a French auction. The painting entered the...
How to Paint a Masterpiece with a Single Hair | Sotheby's
The video explores the ultra‑rare craft of enamel watch painting, where artists render iconic masterpieces on dials no larger than a postage stamp. The process begins with grinding colored glass into powder finer than flour, applying it with a single boar’s...
Inside the World of Iznik: Ottoman Ceramics Explained | Sotheby’s
The video explores Iznik pottery, the signature Ottoman ceramic tradition that emerged in late‑15th‑century Turkey, tracing its roots to Chinese blue‑and‑white porcelain imported into the imperial treasury. Between 1480 and 1600, Iznik artisans expanded the palette beyond cobalt blue and white,...
Rothko, Lalanne, Picasso, Royere: A Look Inside Sotheby's Most Valuable Single-Owner Design Sale
Sotheby’s announced a landmark New York auction of a single‑owner collection that unites French 20th‑century design with modern masterpieces. The assemblage, built by Terry and Jean Ginsbourg, showcases over a hundred pieces ranging from iconic French furniture to works by Agnes Martin,...
When Basquiat Had Nothing—And Made Everything | Sotheby’s
The video examines Jean‑Michel Basquiat’s 1981 downtown New York piece “Law Offices Not Republic,” painted on a discarded window blind. At twenty years old, Basquiat used the blind as a literal and figurative screen, embedding a notary seal that would...
Treasure Hunt for a $50 Million Chinese Art Collection | Sotheby’s Stories
Sotheby’s Asia chairman Nicolas Chow recounts a five‑year “treasure hunt” that culminated in the sale of a $50 million Chinese seal collection, illustrating the firm’s role in repatriating cultural heritage. Chow discovered that a single West‑Coast collector had purchased roughly 80 % of...
In Monet’s Footsteps: Finding the Views Behind Two Long-Lost Color Paintings | Sotheby’s
The Sotheby’s video documents the first public viewing in color of two Monet canvases that have been hidden for more than half a century. The works—‘Lizzie la Pointe de Villez’ (1883) and ‘Vetheuil Effet du Matin’ (1901)—were located on the Seine’s...
Rolling Stone Editor Reacts to Exclusive Stevie Nicks Relics | Sotheby's
Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony J. Curtis previewed items slated for Sotheby’s upcoming Rock & Pop auction, focusing on legendary Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks. The preview showcased a stage‑used, signed tambourine, one of Nicks’ signature flowing outfits, and the original artwork for...