Spherical Chair & Magical Light - Design Auction at the Dorotheum on 13th November 2007

„C1“ chair by Verner Panton

Granite table „Asolo“ by Angelo Mangiarotti

"US and them" sofa by Gaetano Pesce

Mirror by off-objects

"LQ Chandelier" by Hani Rashid

At the Vienna Dorotheum, the beginning of November will be all about design. For the Design Auction on 13th November 2007, the expert in charge, Dr. Gerti Draxler, has once again succeeded in assembling an exciting selection of marvellous and futuristic creations by some of design's famous names as well as a number of highlights of design history.

One item of particular rarity is the „C1“ chair by Verner Panton, made in 1959 for Plus-Linje/Denmark. The hemispherical metal bowl of the seat resembles a crescent moon perched atop a cone and is upholstered in red fabric; the black metal cone is covered in black imitation leather (valuation price: 20.000 – 25.000 €).

A space-age writing desk of polished aluminium with glass top, a nineteen-seventies design by James Butchard, was created for the offices of TWA Transworld Airlines. The designer choose the same material used by TWA in several of its aircraft parts. Incidentally, Butchard also worked on the art direction of films like “The Return of the Pink Panther”, "The Saint” or “Superman” (14.000 – 18.000 €).

Designed in 1981, Angelo Mangiarotti's granite table „Asolo“ captivates through simple elegance. This rarely found object is expected to sell for 30.000 to 40.000 Euro. Resembling some jazzy island of recreation, a rare easy chair by Rolf Sachs (1990) consists of a bowl-shaped seat of painted black metal and round cushions of shimmering satin – the perfect place to cocoon and reminisce about the nineteen-eighties (1st of a series of 3; 3.500 – 4.500 €).

Polychrome butterflies flutter across a set of 6 Fornasetti chairs, with Fornasetti's typical „latest news“ décor of newspaper cuttings adorning their seats. This pattern, designed by Piero Fornasetti back in the nineteen-fifties, was subsequently taken up by his son Barnaba and used in the latter's collection (18.000 – 22.000 €).

An exiting range of contemporary pieces includes an impressive, 115 cm tall vase by Peer Weiss. Made in 2003, this unique piece is expected to sell for 14.000 to 18.000 Euro.

Nor is there a shortage of contemporary Austrian design. Heimo Zobernig's side table of glass, steel, and brass with integrated lamp is another unique item: its elements can be stacked to become a single object or arranged to form two tables flanking a chair (5.000 – 6.000 €). The multi-talented Tone Fink, constantly busy expanding the concept of art, has also applied his talents to furniture. Coming from his private apartment, his so-called „Drahtliege“ (wire lounge) bed of 1997, a unique piece made of iron, sheet metal, and papier mâché, is accompanied by a cotton patchwork blanket he designed for Josef Otten (12.000 – 15.000 €).

The auction's selection also features a fascinating array of contemporary chair objects, such as  Franz West's arrangement „Schöne Aussicht“ (Pleasant Prospects, 7.000 – 10.000 €), a 1989 design for Meta-Memphis, an 8-part set of „blue/black“ chairs by Karim Rashid (9.000 – 17.000 €), 2007, made of polished stainless steel decorated with the blue/black No. 5 pattern based on Rashid's own drawings, or the rare and unusual „US and them“ sofa by Gaetano Pesce, 2005 (7.000 – 12.000 €). This last item of furniture is a multi-coloured two-seater resembling an asymmetrical face with the central arm-rest forming the nose; the plastic tipped wire-fringe of the upholstery gives the amusing model a fine head of hair.

Referred to as a „Wiener Zuckerl“ (a 'Viennese confection') by its makers, the design studio off-objects, their original mirror features multicoloured strips of fluorescent acrylic for a frame (€ 2.000 – 3.000).

Last but not least, the breathtaking highlight of the auction will arrive in the form of a magical and gigantesque chandelier, the „LQ Chandelier“ (2 x 2 x 2 Meter!), Hani Rashid's way of paying his respects to the 'Sun King' Louis Quatorze. This spectacular masterpiece, produced by Zumtobel in a very limited run of 5 copies, comes up for auction in a unique version, exclusively made for the Dorotheum.  A modern interpretation of the opulent crystal chandeliers of the 18th and 19th century, it is nevertheless entirely free of crystal, glass, or candles. The special light effects are generated through the principles of repetition and reflection (valuation price: 130.000 – 150.000 €). Simply magic!

	„C1“ chair by Verner Panton
	Granite table „Asolo“ by Angelo Mangiarotti
	"US and them" sofa by Gaetano Pesce
	Mirror by off-objects
	"LQ Chandelier" by Hani Rashid