Carlo Bugatti furniture stole the show at Bolli & Romiti

ROME — In 1902, while visiting stands at the Esposizione Internationale d’Arte Decorativa Moderna in Turin, the queen of Italy congratulated Carlo Bugatti on his ‘Moresque’ style of furniture. He reportedly replied, “You are mistaken, majesty, this style is mine!”

Bugatti (1856-1940) was undoubtedly a product of 19th-century European Orientalism, and his ideas were much inspired by Moorish, Islamic, and Japanese design. But he did have a voice all his own and considered himself outside the prevailing artistic movements of the day. He called his business Bugatti & C., Fabbrica Mobili Artistici Fantasia (C. Bugatti & Co., Artistic Fantasies Furniture Factory).

A dozen examples of Bugatti’s extraordinary furniture designs were offered by Bolli & Romiti in Rome on February 7. All 12 lots sold, with prices ranging from €4,500 ($4,870) to €15,000 ($16,240).

At the high end of the price range was a pair of two-piece ebonized cabinets (here and here), each measuring 8ft 4in tall by 4ft 10in wide (2.82 by 1.46m). The pewter inlays inspired by hieroglyphics were achieved by carving the designs into the wood and then filling them with molten white metal. Offered as separate lots, they went to the same buyer at €15,000 each ($16,240 or $21,110 with buyer’s premium).

Very few Bugatti pieces can be firmly dated. While the first visual documentation of his work emerges in 1888 (nine of his furnishings were illustrated in Queen, The Lady’s Newspaper as part of the Italian Exhibition in Earls Court, London), most pieces are dated to circa 1900. Similarly, as little documentation appears to have survived, it is unknown how many pieces were made.

A particularly scarce form sold at Bolli & Romiti at €11,000 ($11,910, or $15,480 with buyer’s premium) was a large mirror measuring 8ft across by 4ft 1in high. It displays many typical Bugatti characteristics: the union of lacquered wood, vellum decorated in a soft brown wash, strips of beaten copper, and fabric fringes and tassels. The use of asymmetry in the design is something Bugatti took from Japonism.

Sold to a LiveAuctioneers bidder at €9,000 ($9,745, or $12,665 with buyer’s premium) was a kneehole writing desk with a bank of four drawers. Inlaid with partially gilt pewter and bone and covered to the top in parchment, it had a candle stand with a rope fringe.

Carlo Bugatti kneehole writing desk, which sold for €9,000 ($9,745, or $12,665 with buyer’s premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

Carlo Bugatti kneehole writing desk, which sold for €9,000 ($9,745, or $12,665 with buyer’s premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

Armchair by Carlo Bugatti, which sold for €6,800 ($7,360, or $9,570 with buyer's premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

Armchair by Carlo Bugatti, which sold for €6,800 ($7,360, or $9,570 with buyer's premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

Large mirror by Carlo Bugatti, which sold for €11,000 ($11,910, or $15,480 with buyer’s premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

Large mirror by Carlo Bugatti, which sold for €11,000 ($11,910, or $15,480 with buyer’s premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

Two-piece ebonized cabinet by Carlo Bugatti, which sold for €15,000 ($16,240, or $21,110 with buyer’s premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

Two-piece ebonized cabinet by Carlo Bugatti, which sold for €15,000 ($16,240, or $21,110 with buyer’s premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

Roland Arkell

Roland Arkell

Roland Arkell is editor of Auction Central News and deputy editor at Antiques Trade Gazette. He has been writing about all aspects of the art and antiques market for more than 25 years.

Masters of 20th-century furniture design command attention at LAMA Feb. 28

Sam Maloof rocking chair, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at LAMA.

VAN NUYS, Calif. — Some of the most important names in 20th-century furniture design are represented in the upcoming Design Auction at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) on Wednesday, February 28. The complete catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

The 202-lot sale is headed by this rocking chair from Sam Maloof (1916-2009). It was acquired directly from the artist in 1989 and is marked No. 45 1989 Sam Maloof f.A.C.C. ? to the underside. Described in the lot notes as being in ‘very good vintage condition,’ the chair is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Luisa, Marchesa Casati Stampa di Soncino (1881-1957) was an Italian heiress, muse, and art patron — along with being something of a public eccentric. According to LAMA, the marquess commissioned this bench from furniture designer Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940). Featuring what appears to be Arabic script decorations and what remains of the original silk tassels, the underside provides the tell, with Casati marked there. The bench is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

The Larkin family of Maple Glen, Pennsylvania made a wise choice when they ordered this cabinet from Nakashima Studios in 1957. Now debuting at auction some 67 years after purchase, the cabinet is in fine condition and comes with a digital copy of the original purchase order. It is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

The sale includes 17 works by Jacques Adnet (1900-1984), the renowned French designer best remembered for his innovative use of leather and metal in his furniture. This sideboard cabinet is constructed of saddle-stitched leather over steel with oak and brass elements. It is dated to around 1955 and carries an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

No 20th-century furniture sale would be complete without an example from Charles and Ray Eames. The husband-and-wife design powerhouse created La Chaise for the 1948 International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. However, it was not actually produced for retail until the 1990s by Vitra in Switzerland. This example is from around 2000 and is made of lacquered polyester resin, chrome-plated steel, and oak and is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

Sam Maloof rocking chair, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at LAMA.

Sam Maloof rocking chair, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at LAMA.

Carlo Bugatti bench, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at LAMA.

Carlo Bugatti bench, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at LAMA.

George Nakashima cabinet, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at LAMA.

George Nakashima cabinet, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at LAMA.

Jacques Adnet sideboard cabinet, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at LAMA.

Jacques Adnet sideboard cabinet, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at LAMA.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

The Art Nouveau genius of Carlo Bugatti is on display at Bolli & Romiti Feb. 7

Carlo Bugatti kneehole writing desk, which sold for €9,000 ($9,745, or $12,665 with buyer’s premium) at Bolli & Romiti.

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ROME — Hear or see the word Bugatti today and what comes to mind? Supercars? Luxury goods? Classic and highly valuable vehicles from the prewar period? Sculpture?

All of the above are true, of course, but the name goes even further back, having originated with the one man who began it all, as a humble designer of furniture, Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940). It was Carlo who would father and creatively inspire both Ettore (1881-1947), the legendary racing and luxury car manufacturer, and Rembrandt (1884-1916), the talented but ultimately ill-fated sculptor who would take his own life as a result of emotional damage from his World War I experience.

Carlo’s furniture designs were both influenced by and contributed to the Art Nouveau movement, a design esthetic inspired by the natural world. Bugatti’s furniture often turns up at auction but rarely does a group of 12 items appear in one auction, as is the case at Bolli & Romiti’s Fascinazioni Parte II sale on Wednesday, February 7.

All of the Bugatti items on offer reflect his use of rich, dark hardwoods and intricate and stylized designs unique to his patterns. The sale includes a pair (lot 40, lot 41) of two-bodied cabinets, offered individually, standing 111in in height. With hieroglyphic animal-inspired etchings and tassles to accentuate the design, the pair demand to be purchased and kept together. They are both estimated at €5,000-€8,000 ($5,435-$8,695).

Described by the auction house as a “pair of large doors” and appearing to be an architectural remnant, the set includes a frame and is inlaid with pewter and enhanced by copper elements in a highly geometric design. Once again, Bugatti has included glyphs and imagery of birds and animals, staying true to Art Nouveau design. The set of doors with frame carries an estimate of €3,000-€4,000 ($3,260-$4,345).

A true marvel of inlay expertise, the Carlo Bugatti writing desk is framed by small pinnacles and an elevated plate with what the lot notes call “hanging fabric decoration.” The inlay is from partially gilt pewter and bone, creating a mesmerizing repetition that entrances the eye. The desk is estimated at €3,000-€5,000 ($3,260-$5,435).
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Two-body Carlo Bugatti cabinet, estimated at €5,000-€8,000 ($5,435-$8,695) at Bolli & Romiti.
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Two-body Carlo Bugatti cabinet, estimated at €5,000-€8,000 ($5,435-$8,695) at Bolli & Romiti.
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Pair of large Carlo Bugatti doors, estimated at €3,000-€4,000 ($3,260-$4,345) at Bolli & Romiti.
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Carlo Bugatti writing desk, estimated at €3,000-€5,000 ($3,260-$5,435) at Bolli & Romiti.
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Large Carlo Bugatti mirror, estimated at €4,000-€6,000 ($4,345-$6,520) at Bolli & Romiti.
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Carlo Bugatti furniture: Nothing succeeds like excess

A circa-1902 Carlo Bugatti piece described as a “rare chair” sold for $16,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2020 at Wright. Image courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers.
A circa-1902 Carlo Bugatti piece described as a “rare chair” sold for $16,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2020 at Wright. Image courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Carlo Bugatti’s furniture shouldn’t work. The Italian artist-designer, who made his mark in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, created pieces that qualify as “fantastic” in both senses of the word — incredibly beautiful, and seemingly transported from a realm ruled by fantasy.

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