Next Week Marks Sotheby's Sale of Iconic Design Pieces From WYETH's Coveted Collection
To celebrate the design aesthetic of their Hamptons outpost, WYETH has partnered with Sotheby’s for the second time to auction off an astounding collection of iconic design next week in New York.
After the large success of their first collaboration last year, Sotheby's has paired up once more with New York design destination WYETH. The auction house/gallery duo carefully curated a design collection that nods to the unique aesthetic qualities of the Sagaponack gallery, located on the East End of Long Island.
Built by the very hands of WYETH’s owners in 2008, the modernist post-and-beam gallery space is nestled within three acres of woodland. The structure itself acts as a physical representation of the respected vision that has become synonymous with WYETH’s owners. Where good design, architecture, and nature converge, the items photographed in the catalog are infused with the same sense of light and space of the summer season in the Hamptons.
Shown in cover photo: Finn Juhl, Six-Panel Modular Wall System, Estimate $15,000–$20,000
WYETH’S Sagaponack location, built by the owners themselves in 2008.
Courtesy Sotheby’s
Berndt Friberg, Twelve Vessels, Estimate $2,000–$3,000
Courtesy Sotheby’s
The collection itself is comprised of approximately 200 pieces of furniture, lighting, and design objects from the 20th century. Each piece was hand-picked for its individual design merit, quality of craftsmanship, and integrity by WYETH'S founder John Birch.
True to the gallery's design sensibility, the selection features primarily 20th-century Scandinavian, American, and European modernism. The auction encompasses a wide range of iconic and rare curiosities by influential designers of the period including Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Poul Kjærholm, Paavo Tynell, Gino Sarfatti, George Nakashima, Edward Wormley, Charles and Ray Eames, James Prestini, and Carl Aubock. The auction will also include a selection of works designed and executed by WYETH Studio.
The following images, which were captured at the Long Island gallery, show some of the pieces that will be included in the collection. You'll notice that the photos are imbued with the same warmth, openness, and relaxed atmospheric quality as the space itself. Each item appears to exist in harmony with the pieces they spent over two decades admiring and celebrating.
Carl Auböck, Coatrack, Estimate $6,000–$8,000
Courtesy Sotheby’s
"Our wonderful collaboration with Sotheby’s has allowed me to expand and refine my understanding of today’s marketplace and introduce WYETH to a host of new people in a beautiful and accessible way. I’m deeply grateful to
all of the incredible designers and craftsman, both known and anonymous, whose creations comprise this auction. And as our business enters its third decade, I’m immensely grateful to everyone who has supported WYETH, and encouraged us in our passionate and
relentless pursuit of honest quality and beauty in design."
—John Birch, Co-Founder of WYETH
Kay Bojesen, Large Monkey, $2,000–$3,000; Rare Early Monumental Monkey, Estimate $15,000–$20,000
Courtesy Sotheby’s
Hans Wegner, Pair of Adjustable Lounge Chairs With Ottomans, Estimate $5,000–$7,000
Courtesy Sotheby’s
George Nelson Associates, Comprehensive Storage System (CSS), Estimate $5,000–$7,000
Courtesy Sotheby’s
Adrian Pearsall, Chaise Lounge Model No. 1828-C, Estimate $18,000–$24,000
Courtesy Sotheby’s
Finn Juhl, Rare Sofa and End Table, Estimates ranging from $2,500–$12,000
Courtesy Sotheby’s
Hans J. Wegner, Eight "Round" Chairs Model No. JH501, Estimate $20,000–$30,000
Courtesy Sotheby’s
Items from this design collection will be auctioned off on Tuesday, June 6 at Sotheby’s New York. You can view all the lots in the catalog beginning today through Monday, June 5. For more information, visit the website.
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