Christie’s to Auction Rare Lalanne Sheep Sculptures in Major Design
Christie’s auctions rare Lalanne sheep sculptures and 150 design pieces from a French-American collector in New York on December 9.
The collector began assembling the collection in the early 2000s, taking a deep and focused approach at a time when cross-collecting was not yet fashionable.
Lalanne Sheep Lead the Sale
The auction’s top lot is a set of three “Moutons de Laine” sheep sculptures by Lalanne, estimated at $3 million to $5 million. Created in the 1960s, the pieces are from the second flock made by Lalanne, who co-founded the design duo Les Lalanne with his wife, Claude. The sculptures retain their original patina and have been carefully preserved since their creation.
“You never find flocks anymore,” said Daphne Riou, head of design at Christie’s. “This flock always originated together—it wasn’t put together artificially.” The sheep were once owned by gallerist Alexandre Iolas and exhibited at Lalanne’s first American show at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1967. Their provenance adds significant historical weight to the sale.
Riou described owning a Lalanne as “like a trophy for a collection,” adding that the woolly sheep are among the most iconic pieces available. Christie’s is selling the group exclusively as a set, following a strategy used earlier this year when a quartet of Lalanne frog fountains sold for nearly $6.3 million.
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Other Highlights Span Design History
Beyond the Lalanne sheep, the sale includes a rare Charlotte Perriand table from 1930, estimated at $600,000 to $800,000, and one of only two bicycles ever made by Jean Prouvé, with an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. The collector is also offering the matching trolley that attaches to the bike, making the pairing particularly rare. “To have both the bike and the trailer in the same sale is quite unique,” Riou noted.
Additional highlights include ceramics by Hans Coper, Lucie Rie, and Georges Jouve; an aluminum Marcel Breuer lounge chair once owned by Peggy Guggenheim; and vases and cabinets by Ettore Sottsass of Memphis Milano. The collection reflects decades of focused acquisition, diverging from today’s trend of mixed collecting. Each piece was chosen for its craftsmanship and place within the broader narrative of 20th-century design.
Riou noted that the market for collectible design has grown rapidly in recent years. “The market for design pieces and furnishings is hotter than ever,” she said. Selected works will be on view in Tokyo from November 4–6, in Paris from November 19–24, and in New York during Fall Marquee Week before the auction. The exhibition schedule allows international collectors to view the works before they go under the hammer.
