D esign is all around us, it has been a constant in the development of mankind since the earliest of days, forms adapted, modified, re-imagined and improved in all aspects of the world we inhabit. In few areas is this more evident than in the traditionally-named field of Decorative Arts where the forms of furniture, clocks, silver, ceramics and objects of vertu have been the subject of constantly changing design over the past half-millennium, reflecting the tastes, styles and fashions of the period simultaneously shaped by the influences of trade and travel, war and peace and enabled by technological advances.
Since antiquity, generations have designed their homes in order to express their individual tastes and passions, their power, wealth and position. The past has nearly continuously informed the present, the ‘Grand Tourists’ of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries studying the great sites of ancient Greece and those of the Roman Empire has had an enduring influence on the design of architecture and interiors ever since. So too the strong aesthetic of the East, the trade routes delivering luxurious and exotic wares to a hungry European market, the designs of the lacquer, porcelain and silk continues to enthrall, inspire and entice designers and collectors alike.
This autumn, Sotheby’s continues its new series of sales in London, Paris and New York as part of the recently created Classic Design Week. This will encompass three categories of auction in each location focused on these collecting areas. The first, A Taste of Rococo, features magnificent 18th-century works from a storied private collection that encapsulates the whimsical nature of the Rococo.
Then, on 17 October, Classic Design will showcase British and European furniture, clocks, silver and ceramics in a tightly-curated sale celebrating the inventiveness of the designers and makers largely from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
Finally, Design 17/20 will take a broader view of works from the 17th to 20th centuries, with many lots at affordable levels, to encourage the next generation of collectors to discover an array of Classic Design from this period.
Highlights from the week include magnificent works of silver, such as an important Louis XVI salver from the Royal Portuguese Service by Robert-Joseph August, a George IV snuff box by Charles Rawlings and a set of 12 Regency salt cellars by Robert Garrard; and in ceramic, a rare Chelsea pot-pourri in the form of a ruinous dove-cote and a vase by George Woodall bearing a cameo of Cupid and Psyche. Other notable objects include a cylinder desk by Roussel, a desk by Charles Cressent, a commode attributed to William Moore of Dublin and a pair of gilt candelabras made by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
Each sale will encourage buyers to discover beautifully-designed works for their homes, drawing attention to the wonderful combination of form and function. Additionally, each season will partner with a selected designer, who will select some of their favourite works from the sales. For this season, we are honoured to have the renowned American decorator Remy Renzullo collaborating with Sotheby’s.
