Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA)

The December 4, 2005 Modern Design Auction featured over 450 lots of vetted high quality Mid-Century Modern fine art and design. The sale included furniture, fine art, ceramics, lighting, jewelry, and other Mid-Century Modern classics.

Examples included a Harry Bertoia monumental sounding sculpture that according to Bertoia himself “was the first fully realized expression of his sound sculptures” (Lot 347 est. $70,000 – 90,000, realized $90,000) as well as an extremely rare Bertoia oil painting (Lot 345 est. $20,000 – 30,000) that realized $24,000. A large selection of hand-thrown ceramics by Gertrud & Otto Natzler realized characteristically strong prices. Over thirty lots of rare furnishings and artwork by Ilonka Karasz dating from the 1920s were also offered. Karasz was a celebrated designer who created 186 covers for the New Yorker from the 1920s to the 70s, as well as designed furniture, silver, ceramics and textiles.

The cover lot, a stainless steel George Rickey sculpture entitled Three Right Angles Horizontal, III (Lot 138 est. $40,000 – 50,000) realized $52,200. Originally intended to be made in an edition of three, this was the only one ever executed. LAMA also featured a large selection of art jewelry by Ed Wiener, Claire Falkenstein, Sam Kramer, and Margaret de Patta.