Bonhams Prepares for Modern Design and Art Showcase

Bonhams prepares to present its upcoming Modern Design | Art | Featuring 'Lorna Lane: The Legacy of Billy Haines' auction, showcasing a selection of mid-century and contemporary objects. Leading the catalog is a custom sofa by Pierre Yovanovitch, crafted from sanded and oiled walnut with mohair upholstery, which carries an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000 for the seating piece. Henri Hecht Maïk’s oil on canvas Le Fleurie is also expected to perform well, with an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000 for the canvas. For collectors of mid-century seating, a group of four modular lounge chairs by Percival Lafer in suede, leather, and rosewood is offered with an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. Additionally, a set of twelve mahogany 'Benedikte' chairs by Ole Wanscher carries an estimate of $12,000 to $18,000, while William Haines's polished mahogany Lorna Lane dining table is expected to bring an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. Rounding out the highlights are a monumental mirror attributed to Edgar Brandt, estimated at $8,000 to $12,000 for the ironwork, an untitled brush and ink work by Francisco Toledo, estimated at $8,000 to $12,000 for the paper piece, and Paul Horiuchi's mixed media collage Central, which has an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000 for the collage.

This event follows a busy July for the house, which featured California, Western & Hawaiian Art Online yielding $379,085, The Art of Hawaiʻi achieving $1,706,798, and Fine Silver and Wedgwood bringing in $1,338,141.

For industry observers, this sale, ranked among its twenty sales this year, represents a key moment in the design sector. Across all tracked houses, the design category has realized $14,215,007 this year, maintaining a strong average sell-through of 86.8%, with Phillips leading the market. Bonhams itself has achieved $18,496,614 across all its sales this year. In its specific design-related category, the house has realized $6,220,476 with a sell-through rate of 81.4%.

As an upcoming auction that is not yet open for bidding, this sale offers a fresh opportunity to gauge demand for high-end furniture and fine art.