Sworders’ Design Department | Exceptional Objects and Incredible Sales

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2024 has been a formative year for Sworders’ Design department, with each of the four sales achieving impressive results, and captivating buyers with a diverse array of rare decorative arts and furniture. This augments Sworders’ position in the market as offering quality design from the late 19th century to the present day. Although challenging to pick a small group of highlights, the following lots illustrate a selection of the most thrilling pieces we have handled during the year.

The year began strongly with a rare Spanish mahogany and holly-inlaid upright piano by Charles Robert Ashbee for the Guild of Handicrafts, crafted by John Broadwood, achieving a remarkable £20,800. Three other notable lots from January were Maria Pergay’s avant-garde ‘Broken Cabinet’ from 2007 at £19,500; an Edward Bawden cast iron bench at £5,200; and a Shoji Hamada bottle vase selling for £2,340. The different periods and styles of each of these objects clearly demonstrates the breadth of our offering. 

 ^{A cast iron garden bench, sold for £5,200 (inc.fees)}

April continued the trend with 20th-century furniture selling well; the iconic ‘Papa Bear’ armchair by Danish designer Hans J Wegner garnered a substantial £10,400. This was followed by Marcel Breuer’s ‘Long Chair’ selling for £6,500. Decorative arts proved popular from all periods, with two notable examples being a later version of Carlo Scarpa's ‘Laccati Neri e Rossi’ Venini glass bowl and Pugin’s bread plate produced by Minton, achieving £3,640 and £2,210 respectively. As one of the market leaders for Design auctions in the UK, these pieces found buyers internationally, leading to their strong prices.

 ^{A bentwood 'Long Chair' recliner, sold for £6,500 (inc.fees)}

Summer brought a footed bowl by the celebrated studio potter Dame Lucie Rie, which commanded an exceptional figure of £32,500. A notable and exceedingly rare addition to the sale was Agnete Hoy’s ‘Pushkin’, the feline stoneware work achieving £13,000 in the saleroom, reflecting the small quantity produced. Scarcity can also be attributed to Jorge Zalszupin ‘Petalas’ side tables which sold for £7,800, from a name that seldom appears in UK salerooms. This trio of truly rare and superlative objects were highpoints of a successful sale - which included the estate of Max Clendinning & Ralph Adron that achieved over £100,000, recognising their significant contributions to 20th-century design.

 ^{▲ Agnete Hoy (1914-2000), sold for £13,000 (inc.fees)}

Finally, the year was bookended with a series of strong results providing confidence for the year ahead. A large private consignment of contemporary Lalique was led by the impressive ‘Grand Nue Venus’ glass figure, which sold for £15,600 and attracted wide interest from international collectors. Guy Taplin’s large-scale bronze curlew garnered online, commission and telephone bidders, selling to the latter at £10,140. Consigned from a private collector, the entirety of the Christopher Dresser collection was sold, including a unique bronze sugar bowl attributed to Dr Christopher Dresser that achieved £2,470.

^{Attributed to Dr Christopher Dresser (1834-1904), sold for £2,470 (inc.fees)}

Sworders’ Design department aims to continue on this path next year - offering the best quality decorative arts and furniture, allowing the results to speak for themselves. To consign for our 2025 sales, we invite you to contact the department for a no-obligation valuation and advice on selling with Sworders.

^{*All sold prices listed above include fees*}

design@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

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