Editor’s Note
This article details the historic auction of the Schlumberger Collection at Sotheby’s New York, where François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Hippopotame Bar’ set a new world record for a design object at auction.
The recent auction of the prestigious Schlumberger Collection at Sotheby’s New York made art and design market history with the sale of François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Hippopotame Bar’ for $31.4 million, making it the most expensive design work ever sold at auction.
On Friday, December 10, Sotheby’s New York unveiled the penultimate session of the prestigious Schlumberger Collection, a record-breaking auction blending masterpieces of painting, sculpture, jewelry, and design. While the collection impressed with its eclecticism, it was the creations of the Lalannes that captivated collectors. The sale’s centerpiece, the unique ‘Hippopotame Bar’ by François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008), shattered its $7 million estimate by reaching $31.4 million, more than three times its original price. This historic peak establishes this copper sculpture as the most expensive design work ever sold at auction.
Last October, Sotheby’s New York announced an extraordinary auction titled “The Schlumberger Collection: An Eclectic Legacy Spanning Centuries of Art, Design, and Imagination.” From Monet to Dalí, in dialogue with the iconic works of the Lalannes, this exceptional ensemble brought together paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and design pieces, including the spectacular ‘Hippopotame Bar’ created in 1976 by François-Xavier Lalanne. According to Jodi Pollack, Chairman of Sotheby’s and Co-Worldwide Head of 20th Century Design, the collection constitutes:
Deployed over eight sessions, from October 21 to December 11, the sale presented a corpus meticulously assembled by the Schlumberger family, and particularly by Anne Gruner Schlumberger, a major figure in American patronage. Driven by a desire to create connections between disciplines and artists, she was one of the most important patrons of the Lalannes. The auction thus revealed a set of rare works, often commissioned and previously unseen on the art market, offering a unique glimpse into this personal legacy.
The true heart of this exceptional collection, the ‘Hippopotame Bar’ stands as the masterpiece of the sale. Commissioned directly from the artist by Anne Schlumberger in 1976, this unique work belongs to a set of early and foundational creations, entirely executed by Lalanne’s own hand. The first and only example of this model made in copper, it predates the later bronze edition launched two years later, while already announcing the iconic morphology.
If the work reached $31.4 million, more than three times its initial estimate, it is due to both its rarity and the virtuosity of its execution. Its copper surface, hand-forged—a material Lalanne reserved for his most precious early pieces—is subtly patinated with shades ranging from russet brown to deep red, to black. Behind its apparent monumentality lie ingeniously designed compartments: a removable bottle holder, ice bucket, hors d’oeuvre tray, and storage for glasses testify to the artist’s genius in combining form, function, and imagination. Accompanied by two preparatory drawings from the archives, one in ink and the other in graphite, the work perfectly embodies Lalanne’s fascination with:
The sale was not limited to this unique piece: it also brought together several major works by the Lalanne duo, including commissions given to Claude Lalanne (1925-2019), François-Xavier’s wife and partner. Among the most notable were the gilded elements of the ‘Anémone’ balustrade (circa 2000s), as well as the spectacular creation of ‘Portes du Jardin’ (2002) with animal motifs.
For several years, the creations of the Lalannes have occupied a central place in the art market and continue to generate enthusiasm among collectors. In 2023, ‘Rhinocrétaire I’ (1964) already set a record of $19.4 million at Christie’s. More recently, ‘Grand Rhinocrétaire II’ (2003) soared to $16.4 million, while the ‘Bar aux Autruches’ (1967-1970) reached $11.1 million in Paris—two results from Sotheby’s that confirm the enduring appeal and growing value of the Lalanne’s work.
