While he is primarily known for his Fauvist paintings, watercolours and drawings, André Derain (1880-1954) also created ceramic works.
In 1904 he first met the potter André Metthey, who had developed a tin glaze that was ideally suited for transferring the luminosity of Derain’s designs to the surface of the vases they created together between 1906-08.
All in all, they made some 20 pieces, two of which came up for sale at Artcurial, Beurret, Bailly, Widmer (22% buyer’s premium) in Basel on June 21.
Both covered vases were 13in (34cm) high, signed by Derain and monogrammed M for Metthey and had been authenticated by the Comité Derain.
The first, with floral décor, sold for an upper-estimate SFr60,000 (£53,100). The second, decorated with women and birds, went slightly higher and was knocked down to the same European collector for SFr62,000 (£54,870).
Giacometti has a ring to it
Diego Giacometti bronze standard lamp, SFr230,000 (£203,540) at Artcurial, Beurret, Bailly, Widmer.
Also worthy of note is the result for a 3ft 7in (1.08m) high bronze standard lamp ‘aux anneaux’ (with rings) by Diego Giacometti (1902-85). In the 1960s-70s he created several variations of this design, some table lamps, others floor-standing.
This example had been in two Swiss collections for many decades and was expected to bring SFr150,000-200,000.
It finally went to a US bidder for SFr230,000 (£203,540).
