WHAT: A teak and aluminum periodicals rack salvaged from a university library sold for $102,500 last month in a Modern Design auction at Bonhams, New York. Thatβs a high result for a utilitarian piece made around 1961-62.
MORE: The sale included 35 original furnishings, all by Pierre Jeanneret. Lots included tables and chairs, a day bed, desk, stools, a divider screen, and the periodical rack. All had been saved from ruin by a local collector.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: Clearly, this is no standard piece. It came from a social experiment called Chandigarh that became a milestone in the history of modern design.
The story began with the partition of India in 1947, when the capital was moved. A new institution was needed, and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted the new complex to reflect the Western world. The great Modernist architect Le Corbusier supervised building the 15-year project, and his cousin, Jeanneret, designed furnishings.
HOT TIP: Today, collectors prize original furniture by Jeanneret for its clean lines and balanced design. Good pieces sell high.
BOTTOM LINE: The ordinary rack became top lot of the sale because it is a recognizable Jeanneret product with documented links to a significant event in Modernism.
