Make room for modern-design masterpieces at Hindman, May 25

Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Chan cabinet, est. $25,000-$35,000

CHICAGO – Hindman’s May 25 Modern Design auction will offer a dynamic selection of works spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighted by a striking selection of Philip and Kelvin LaVerne furniture and a pair of double-sided screens by Piero Fornasetti. Contemporary and experimental designs by Tejo Remy and Niels van Eijk for Droog, John Chamberlain and Dan Johnson are also included. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Designs

First among the Philip and Kelvin LaVerne designs will be a Chan cabinet, which is a rare form that seldom comes to market. It is estimated at $25,000-$35,000. The LaVernes became celebrated for their artistic bronze pieces that merge groundbreaking metalwork techniques and traditional motifs. Other works by the father-and-son duo include an Etruscan center table, estimated at $6,000-$8,000, and a pair of coffee tables, each estimated at $4,000-$6,000.

Piero Fornasetti Screens

A pair of screens by Italian painter and designer Piero Fornasetti are among the lots that are expected to spark intense bidding. Very few examples of the Portico con Paesaggio (Portico with Landscape) screen, estimated at $8,000-$12,000, exist, and only around 10 examples of the Angolo di Spogliatoio dressing room corner were produced between the 1950s and 1960s.

Left, Piero Fornasetti Portico con Paesaggio screen, est. $8,000-$12,000; Right, Piero Fornasetti Citta de Carte / Farfalle folding screen, est. $8,000-$12,000

The Citta di Carte / Farfalle folding screen from 1960 is Fornasetti’s most famous screen design, and only 40 pieces were produced between 1950s and 1970s. That screen carries an estimate of $8,000-$12,000. Both screens come from the collection of Lynne Rosenbaum of Truro, Massachusetts.

Contemporary & Experimental Design

Boundary-pushing works that will appear in the May 25 sale lineup include a pair of Rag chairs by Dutch product and interior designer Tejo Remy for Droog, estimated at $4,000-$6,000, as well as Niels van Eijk’s Cow chair, estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

Tejo Remy Rag chairs, est. $4,000-$6,000

One of Droog’s most iconic designs, Remy’s Rag chairs were often crafted using old clothes that were sent in and then constructed into a chair that is held together with metal straps.

John Chamberlain Couch, est. $5,000-$7,000

Contemporary standouts will also include John Chamberlain’s Couch from 1970, estimated at $5,000-$7,000, and Dan Johnson’s Gazelle side chair, bearing an estimate of $3,000-$5,000. Known for his awe-inspiring abstract sculptures, Chamberlain also made his sofas by hand upon commission until the early 1970s.

Additional Highlights

Top lots also include works by French luminaries Pierre Chapo and Guillerme et Chambron, along with an array of exceptional studio pottery by Jun Kaneko, Claude Conover, Peter Voulkos, Karen Karnes, Emmanuel Cooper and Colin Pearson.