François-Xavier Lalanne

Gifted by Adelaide de Menil to Bill Copley, New York
Christie’s New York, November 10, 1993, lot 126
Private Collection
Christie’s Paris, December 12, 2005, lot 34

Daniel Marchesseau, les Lalanne, Paris, 1998, pp. 58-59 (for the model with white wool)
Reed Krakoff, Ben Brown and Paul Kasmin, Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne, exh. cat., Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York and Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, 2006, frontis (for the model with white wool)
Daniel Abadie, Lalanne(s), Paris, 2008, pp. 192-193 (for the model with white wool) and 194-195
Les Lalanne, Paris, exh. cat., Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 2010, pp. 40-41
Paul Kasmin, Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne, New York, 2012, n.p.
Les Lalanne: Fifty Years of Work, 1964-2015, exh. cat., Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, 2015, pp. 30 and 50 (for the model with white wool), 83 and 137
Delphine and Reed Krakoff, Houses That We Dreamt Of: The Interiors of Delphine and Reed Krakoff, New York, 2017, pp. 13-14 (for the present lot illustrated)

Overall very good condition. The mouton retains its original wool, which presents with a rich, variegated brunette palette, ranging from mahogany to chestnut to chocolate brown and with some blonde highlights at the ends. The wool with some occasional areas of minor matting and scattered stray fibers consistent with age and gentle use. The wool with a few small isolated areas that have been filled in with replaced wool, such as above the proper right shoulder, on the base of the neck on the reverse, at the base of the spine and just above the proper left back leg. This replaced wool presents with slightly darker, more uniform coloration compared to the rest of the wool but overall displays harmoniously with the upholstery. The wool surrounding the mouton's face with some minor traces of dried adhesive residue consistent with age, and with some of the wool very gently pulling away from the bronze, stable. The bronze surfaces have been recently professionally cleaned and lightly waxed and present with scattered minor surface scratches and abrasions throughout the face and legs, consistent with age and gentle use. The mouton face presents with some extremely minor surface irregularities inherent in the making and not visually detractive. The mouton is on casters and is marked on its black painted wood underside. A very handsome example of Lalanne's rare and iconic "Black Sheep" that presents beautifully as a stand-alone mouton or part of a larger flock.
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.