Auction Results: Les Collections du Château de Gourdon

Auction Results: Les Collections du Château de Gourdon

29- 31 March 11

Christie's
Paris

As the dust settles from the excitement of last weeks sale, we are starting to get a feel for the 2011 design market's climate.

Christie's is quick to point out that the chaise longue 'on skis' created in l929 by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann set a world record for the designer, selling at £2,406,600.

Looking closer however, we see that this piece landed in-between Christie's estimate of £1,680,000-£2,520,000. We knew from the start of the auction that this work would sell for a decent price as it is from a highly collectable designer and is the only known edition (made in wood) of the design.

While the work is the highest selling design lot of the auction; it simply met our expectations. I get more excited by the unexpected; when a lot defies auction experts and breaks through expectations.

Eileen Gray once again exceeded valuator's expectations with her rug design Centimètre which sold for £25,032 - over 10 times above its estimated value.

Overall, however, it seemed that the design lots for sale had trouble meeting their estimated values.

Looking at the DeTnk Top 10, compiled from the DeTnk Market Report Database we see that when comparing total actual sales vs estimated sales the top designers rarely exceeded their estimates - in fact only 50% of the top ten reached total sales above their estimated values; while 65% of entire design lots sold above their estimates.

With 83% of all design lots sold, this sale fared much better than 2010's average percentage of lots sold.

This sale is in line with the past 2011 auctions, confirming the markets steady increase.Les Collections du Château de Gourdon didn't provide any spectacular or surprising sales; it just hovered above average.

This slight improvement from 2010's averages is a positive sign for the greater design market. A steady increase in percentage of lots sold, offered, and reaching above estimated values provides sustainable growth for the future of the collectible design market.

For a greater detailed report of this sale and others in 2011, subscribe to the DeTnk Market Report Online.

DeTnk Top 10 : Les Collections du Château de Gourdon, Christie’s Paris: 29-31 March 2011