20th Century Decorative Arts Auction
June 1, 1997
The June 1, 1997 20th Century Decorative Arts Auction was held at the Chait Gallery in Beverly Hills. This was another auction filled with modern furniture, sculpture, ceramics, silver, glassware, and design. The 185-lot sale featured works by Paolo Venini, Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Hans Wegner, and George Nakashima.
Highlights included a rare William Haines coffee table designed specifically for the interior of the residence of David May, North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills (Lot 137 est. $6,000 – 8,000, realized $14,300) and a Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen modular storage unit (Lot 195 est. $4,500 – 5,500, realized $4,400). This unit won first prize in the 1941 MoMA Low Cost Design Competition and was produced for a very short time. Additional highlights included designs by Arne Jacobsen, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Florence Knoll.
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- Lot 137
- William Haines
- Coffee Table
- Biomorphic leaded glass top resting on black painted wood cruciform angular base
- This table is unique and was designed specifically for the interior of the residence of David May, North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills. David May founded The May Co.
- Provenance: David May, thence by descent
- Estimate $6,000 – $8,000
- Realized $14,300
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- Lot 172
- Charles and Ray Eames
- “LCM”
- molded laminated plywood seat and back fastened with six circular rubber shock mounts to bent laminated neck and inverted U-form plywood legs
- This early rare example with original rosewood veneer.
- Estimate $1,200 – $1,400
- Realized $4,950
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- Lots 54, 55, 58
- Three Howard Miller Clocks
- Lot 54, George Nelson: beveled wood face with black painted wood central case, white hands and black metal roman numerals, Howard Miller label.
- Lot 55, George Nelson: white perforated metal dish face with wooden central case and waisted wood knobs for numbers, black hands, Howard Miller label.
- Lot 58, Howard Miller: black cylindrical case, white face with black numbers, label.
- Realized $1,133