On December 10 at 10 a.m. local time, Sotheby's New York held the auction Important Design, Featuring Works from the Schlumberger Collection, which included pieces by designers such as Jean Prouvé, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Charlotte Perriand, and Mattia Bonetti, as well as several works by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne.
See also: Six Facts to Know: Les Lalanne
The highlight of the sale was a unique piece, the Hippopotame Bar, created in 1976 by François-Xavier Lalanne together with his wife Claude for French oil heiress and art patron Anne Schlumberger. Schlumberger was an early supporter of the couple, who often drew inspiration from nature for their imaginative yet fully functional designs. Made of copper, the hippopotamus bar is not only one of a kind but also served as a prototype for later works of a similar nature.
Such rarity and notable provenance naturally commanded attention. Estimated at $7–10 million, the piece attracted seven persistent bidders and sparked a nearly half-hour bidding war. The winning bidder ultimately paid $31.4 million, including commission, setting a new record both for François-Xavier Lalanne and for a designer object overall.
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Prices for the Lalannes’ extraordinary creations have surged on the auction market in recent years. The ten highest results to date have all been achieved since 2022. These include the former record holder, Rhinocrétaire I from 1964, which sold for €18.3 million at Christie's Paris in 2023.
