Francois-Xavier Lalanne's sheep sculptures. Image courtesy of Flickr.

Sotheby’s New York will host two highly-anticipated design auctions this week. “The Jon Stryker Collection: Masterworks of European Modernism,” will take place on Tuesday, December 16, followed by the “Important 20th Century Design” sale on Wednesday, December 17.

“Masterworks of European Modernism” will feature works from the collection of Jon Stryker -- an American architect, philanthropist, and activist. In 2002, Stryker teamed up with Peter Shelton and Lee Mindel of the New York-based architecture and interior design firm Shelton, Mindel & Associates to renovate his former apartment at the “Prasada,” a Beaux-Arts luxury apartment building overlooking Central Park in Manhattan. With help from Shelton and Mindel, Stryker created a stylish and modern space within the historic building to showcase his collection of European and Scandinavian twentieth-century design and photography. Works from this illustrious collection, which was assembled with guidance from Mindel, will be offered at the sale. Highlights include a voluminous yet graceful “Infini” sculpture (1949) (estimate: $50,000 to $70,000) by the French sculptor and furniture maker Alexandre Noll; a mahogany cabinet (1943) (estimate: $150,000 to $250,000), also by Noll; a patinated bronze sculpture by Alberto Giacometti titled “L’Arbre de Vie” (1960) (estimate: $150,000 to $200,000); a gilt bronze “Feuille” floor lamp (circa 1936) (estimate: $120,000 to $180,000) by Giacometti; and a “Low Table” (1950) (estimate: $80,000 to $120,000) by Paul Dupré-Lafon, a French architect and decorator known for his Art Deco designs, constructed from parchment, oak, leather, lacquered bronze, and patinated brass. All of the works offered reflect Stryker’s architecturally-minded sensibility and the serene, harmonious atmosphere he strived to create in his Manhattan apartment.

“Important 20th Century Design” will feature a selection of American and European masterworks spanning the last hundred years. The sale will be led by a collection of French Art Deco and Postwar design from an interior created by Alan Wanzenberg, an esteemed New York architect and designer who is celebrated for his understated yet powerful creations, which often feature a range of styles, including Arts and Crafts, Shaker, Art Deco, and American Farmhouse.

Frank Lloyd Wright "Weed" vases. Image courtesy of Prairie Mod.

“An Interior by Alan Wanzenberg: Masterworks of French Design” will feature 43 works from the historic “Uig Lodge” in Sydney, Australia. The collection provides a window into Wanzenberg’s deep understanding of design history as well as his distinctive aesthetic, which favors the authentic, the varied, and the unexpected. Highlights include Francois-Xavier Lalanne’s whimsical sheep sculpture “Mouton de Laine” (1986) (estimate: $250,000 to $350,000); an important palmwood and patinated wrought iron desk by the Art Deco master Eugene Printz (1932) (estimate: $250,000 to $350,000); and an “Etoile” sideboard (1955) (estimate: $120,000 to $180,000) by avant-garde French designer Jean Royère, executed in straw marquetry and oak.      

Other highlights from the “Important 20th Century Design” sale include a jewelry box (1904) (estimate: $80,000 to $120,000) by Austrian architect and designer Josef Hoffmann, co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese Workshops); a pair of “Weed” vases (1895-1900) (estimate: $200,000 to $300,000) by Frank Lloyd Wright -- one of the few examples of the architect’s contributions to the Arts and Crafts movement; a lacquered and parcel-gilt wood “Important Occasional Table” (1928) (estimate: $200,000 to $300,000) by Jean Dunand, who is considered the greatest lacquer artist of the Art Deco period; and a stainless steel “Adjustable Dining Table” (1968) (estimate: $100,000 to $150,000) by the French designer and sculptor Philippe Hiquily. The table, which is one of only two known examples, comprises sixteen pieces and can be configured as a single large dining table, two smaller tables or two console tables.