Diego Giacometti

Gustav Zumsteg, Zurich (acquired directly from the artist)
Abraham Silk, Zurich (acquired from the above and sold: Galerie Koller, December 8, 2004, lot 2)
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale and sold: Christie's, New York, November 9, 2006, lot 442)
Acquired at the above sale

Daniel Marchesseau, Diego Giacometti, Paris, 1986, illustrated p. 73

This work is in very good condition. Work has a silvery gray patina. The piece consists of four elements: the base which unscrews into three separate pieces and the alabaster sphere which sits at the top, in addition to the glass trays. The stem of the work is drilled throughout, such that it could be wired as a lamp. There is a small repaired crack along the perimeter of the lower tier. There are a few scattered pindots of accretion throughout.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present work was commissioned directly from the artist by Gustav Zumsteg. Zumsteg had previously commissioned Giacometti to decorate the bar of his Zurich restaurant Kronenhalle, where his works can still be seen today (see fig. 1). For Port-verres the artist "created a unique model of a drink stand for the dining room of the headquarters of Abraham Silk. Around a central axis, he superimposed two wheels holding glass plates where three chimeras are watching, themselves surmounted by bats or vampire bats" (Daniel Marchesseau, op. cit. p. 72).

A famed textile industrialist, Zumsteg had studied at the Sorbonne and later acquired Abraham Silk, a supplier to prominent fashion designers such as Valentino, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent. Zumsteg amassed an impressive art collection which included works by Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti and Ferdinand Hodler, many of whom he had befriended during his student days in Paris. His Kronenhalle bar not only displayed many works from his collection but also served as a meeting place for several leading minds of the era, including both Picasso and James Joyce.

Fig. 1 Interior of Kronenhalle Bar, Zurich, featuring a Diego Giacometti light feature, photograph by Gian Marco Castelberg courtesy of The Gustav und Hulda Zumsteg-Stiftung