Decorative Arts of the 20th Century and Design

The Decorative Arts of the 20th Century and Design Department, opened in 2013, is a leader in the sector among Italian auction houses and an important benchmark for collectors, designers, architects and enthusiasts.

The department has been facing a constant growth in revenues as well as an increase in international bidders and saleroom, phone and online participation. The careful selection of the works, the traceability of the provenance and the analysis of the historical-archival documentation, are the strategic elements on which the department focuses the selection of the lots, ranging from lighting to seating, from unique pieces to limited editions.

The careful and unconventional selection of 20th-century authors and works ranges from historic furnishings to the border area between art and design where, thanks to the excellent results of Yoichi Ohira's glass (total € 90,000) and the record for the small cube resin by Enzo Mari (€ 16,250), a new collector is positioned increasingly in search of news and rediscoveries.

Margaret Macdonald and the Italian Masters of the 20th Century
at the Forefront of the International Market

The 20th century Decorative Arts and Design auction held on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of July 2024 attracted a large audience of enthusiasts, totalizing over €1.2 million in sales, with 76% of lots sold and a 163% increase of the starting prices.

The four richly curated auction sessions culminated in the top lot "The Annunciation" by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, a work from 1896. Its extraordinary historical and artistic significance was underscored by intense bidding, ultimately selling for € 176,400. Other notable highlights included the three-legged table by Osvaldo Borsani and Lucio Fontana (€ 75,600), the "Head of a Centaur" by Egidio Costantini (a record for the artist) created at the Murano-based Fucina degli Angeli (€ 41,580), and the sculpture "Pious Temple of Wicked Time" by Luigi Ontani (€ 22,680). 

The lighting section achieved remarkable results, with the monumental fourteen-arm chandelier by Vittorio Zecchin (€ 25,200) and the "12385 Vela" pendant lamp by Angelo Lelii (€ 12,600). Max Ingrand took the highest spot with his sixteen-arm "Dhalia" chandelier (€ 32,760). The impressive result for a large Art Nouveau vase by Hungarian artist Mack Lajos (€ 32,760) confirms the public's significant appreciation for decorative arts. 

Gio Ponti remains one of the most esteemed 20th-century designers among collectors: from the model "489" armchair from the 1950s made for Cassina (€ 25,200) to the refined plate "The Treacherous Camilla" from the "Archaeological Walk" series by Richard Ginori (€ 18,900). 

The appreciation for high-end Italian furniture is further evidenced by the sales of four 1920s tables by Ettore Zaccari (€ 12,600), a 1940s dressing console by Luigi Zuccoli (€ 10,080), and the 1960s modular bookcase model "LB7" by Franco Albini (€ 16,380). 

In the architecture drawings category, the standout piece was a drawing by Aldo Rossi (€ 5,670) and the success of the entire collection of sketches by Carlo Scarpa, especially the group of studies dedicated to the Brion Tomb in San Vito D’Altivole (€ 6,300).