Design

Design

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 17. Adjustable Dining Table.

Property from a Private French Collection

Philippe Hiquily

Adjustable Dining Table

Lot Closed

March 14, 04:16 PM GMT

Estimate

50,000 - 70,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Property from a Private French Collection

Philippe Hiquily

Adjustable Dining Table


1978

stainless steel

28 3/4 x 104 3/4 x 61 7/8 in. (73 x 266.1 x 157.2 cm) configured as a single table

Acquired directly from the artist by Monsieur Bideau, Paris

Private Collection, Paris

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Philippe Hiquily, Catalogue Raisonné 1948-2011, vol. 2, Paris, 2012, p. 47, cat. no. 716

This lot is offered together with a certificate of authenticity from the Comite Hiquily.


A sculptor by nature, Hiquily was seemingly not predestined to become famous for his furniture design. Ironically, however, his status as one of the great sculptors of the 20th Century is due in large part to the acclaim he has received for his furniture, as supported by the recent acquisition of a 1976 table by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the numerous record-breaking results for his work at auction.


This important stainless steel table is the second and last example of the design table that was originally created in 1968 for François-Poncet’s American wife. This second table was commissioned by Jean-François Bideau, a dealer who organized an exhibition of Hiquily’s works, Pièges à Louve, in 1976 and commissioned and collected many works by the artist. Hiquily conceived two different configurations: depending on their organization, the sixteen elements can form either a large dining table, an octagonal table, or two wall-tables each composed by half of a table.


The foot of the design table, with its pure, fluid lines, is typical of Hiquily’s work. It is representative of the sculptor’s distinct approach to furniture, relying on industrial processes, new technologies, and innovative materials to produce everyday objects that would combine aesthetic and functionality.


TARA HIQUILY

President of the Comité Hiquily