à la poursuite de la beauté
The Jack C. Richards Collection of Lalique Glass
At Webb’s, we are seeing the market for decorative arts continue to grow with no signs of slowing down.
Our diverse auctions are consistently achieving excellent results. High returns are seen across our departments as clients, and both seasoned and emerging collectors look to the secondary market to sell and acquire unique pieces.
This trend was particularly evident in the exceptionally successful à la poursuite de la beauté: The Jack C. Richards Collection of Lalique Glass.
The single-vendor live sale saw glass works by French Art Nouveau designer René Lalique reach new heights with new records set for individual pieces.
The competition for each piece made for an exhilarating auction, with prices for the fine glass escalating to new records. The vase Perruches (Parakeets) exceeded $50,000, against a high estimate of only $12,000.
Fever pitch was reached with the sale of Palestre (Palaestra), a grey-glass mould-blown piece, displaying intricate acid-etched figures standing in classical poses. The case blitzed the high estimate of $35,000 to reach the unfathomable height of $73,455. à la poursuite de la beauté: The Jack C. Richards Collection of Lalique Glass was a monumental moment in New Zealand auction history that has set a benchmark for the global sale of Lalique glass on the secondary market.
Fervent international interest, from as far as the UK, France, Milan, and Zurich, and sensational figures attest to quality of Lalique presented. At over $1 million, the sale total surpassed its estimated value by 170%. à la poursuite de la beauté: The Jack C. Richards Collection of Lalique Glass now holds the Australasian record for a Lalique collection.
Our team of Decorative Arts specialists has a breadth of knowledge and sector experience, including handling estates, sourcing and selling vintage, antique and speciality pieces such as applied arts and taonga.
If you are considering bringing your decorative arts items to market, please contact our specialist team.
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