At a Final Total of €27.1M, Sotheby’s Paris Reaffirms the Market’s Appetite for Iconic Design

Sotheby’s Paris has once again cemented its position at the forefront of the global design market. The recent Important Design auction – curated by the iconic style muse Betty Catroux, longtime confidante of Yves Saint Laurent – totaled €27.1 million, more than doubling its high estimate and marking one of the most successful design sales ever staged. With bidding from 34 countries and 88% of lots sold, the event was more than a commercial triumph. It was a resounding endorsement of design as both cultural artefact and market force.

At the centre of this landmark sale stood a piece that transcends even the term “collectible”: François-Xavier Lalanne’s Bar aux Autruches. Achieving €11.1 million after an 11-minute bidding battle, it set an auction record for a bar by the artist. But beyond the headline price lies a deeply personal story—one that began decades ago in a quiet village outside Paris.

In a reflection penned by Florent Jeanniard, Chairman and Co-Worldwide Head of 20th Century Design at Sotheby’s, the bar’s intimate origins are recounted. Originally kept by Lalanne in his own bedroom to shield it from collectors’ offers, this edition of the ostrich bar was the artist’s favorite. Its surreal, life-sized birds—with hidden bar compartments in their wings and an egg that doubles as an ice bucket—capture the essence of Lalanne’s vision: humor, poetry, function, and fantasy intertwined.

Only six were ever made. Two are held in French national collections and will never be sold. The one that crossed the auction block last week? Lalanne’s personal edition.

Other standouts included Maria Pergay’s unique dining table (€419,100) and Jean Puiforcat’s signature vase (€285,750), both setting new records. The Bernard Laurent Collection alone brought in €4.7 million, tripling its estimate and reaffirming the rising demand for 20th-century French design.

This was more than a sale. It was a cultural moment – a testament to the deepening seriousness with which collectors are approaching design, not only as an investment but as a form of expression, storytelling, and emotional connection.