The Rocking Bird of François-Xavier Lalanne

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Lalanne is well known in Paris for his sheep used as stools, and easy to group in herds of various quantities. But the bestiary furniture of this artist is much wider, including chairs, buffets, bars.

The artist passed away last December. His strengthened arrival in the auction news is not related to his death (I've never been able to demonstrate such a correlation), but rather to the result obtained by the bar of Yves Saint-Laurent, non zoomorphic, sold 2.7 M € fees included by Christie's in Paris in February.

Unlike sheep, most furniture is disproportionate to the actual sizes of animals. A few days ago, on May 27, Sotheby's sold in Paris a grasshopper bar 1.85 m long for 540 K € premium included.

The sparrow is particularly suited to the game of the rocking chair. The user sits between its wings, and he extends his legs above the tail of the bird. The auction house Pierre Bergé & Associés will auction it in Brussels on June 17. For this furniture in steel sheets of 1.20 m high and 1.90 m long, dated 1974, the estimate is ambitious: 600 K €.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

I said that the estimate was ambitious: I was not wrong! This rocking chair has not reached its low estimate, but it was sold: 550 K € before fees. Congratulations to the auction house.