Furniture

A sleepy Kentian table from a home in Connecticut was awoken by a sensational sum in late April.

Standing 3ft (91cm) high, this miniature rosewood and ivory bureau cabinet illustrates the successful fusion of Indian decoration to English form achieved by artisans working in the port of Vizagapatam in the 18th century.

Piece of furniture mentioned in reference books is just of the potential purchases at Dec Fair

Stands and side tables were a prominent feature in many large Georgian houses and were used for a variety of quite specific purposes. However, it is extremely rare to find a piece of furniture designed specifically to take a goldfish bowl.

A traditional ensemble of art and antiques that had come from a property in the department of Ille et Vilaine attracted no shortage of attention when it went under the hammer at Ivoire Nantes (24% buyer’s premium) earlier this year.

From elegant furniture by Scandinavian designers to stand-out lamps and decorative pieces… the lines, materials and simplicity that characterise interiors items from the mid-century modern period appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Sworders’ run of single-owner sales continues with a two-day auction on May 13-14 titled Paul Atkinson, The Nomadic Collector.

Chairs were in particular demand at the Dulwich biannual Mid-century event

Jean Dunand was an Art Deco period craftsman known above all for his skill in the technique of lacquer and a good example of his craftsmanship was the star turn in a sale of decorative arts held by Tajan (26/21/14% buyer’s premium).

In 1950, the Swiss artist, architect and designer Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967) joined his cousin Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (who assumed the pseudonym Le Corbusier) to create a new capital of Punjab.

Welsh auction house Rogers Jones (26.4% buyer’s premium inc VAT) recently conducted its largest house clearance in over 30 years: the principal contents of Plas Teg in Flintshire.

Whatever interior statement one hopes to achieve, it is so often the furniture that really makes a room.

An unmistakable piece of modern furniture is the highlight of the sale on May 16 at Lempertz in Cologne.