Sotheby’s closed a $1,079,500 deal in December 2025 for a one-of-a-kind gilt-bronze armchair by French designer Claude Lalanne. The piece, cast in 1998, features a frame entwined with patinated bronze vines and monkeys, topped with an ostrich leather seat. It entered the market not through a traditional gallery pipeline, but via Sotheby’s online consignment portal.
Margaret Wood, a specialist in Sotheby’s Design Department, identified the chair as the earliest of Lalanne’s ‘Singerie’ armchairs to ever hit the auction block. Each chair in this series is distinct; the monkeys’ positioning and the specific swirl of the gold-patinated vines vary from piece to piece. This particular iteration was the first to be publicly offered, setting a benchmark for the series.
The sale landed during a surge in demand for Lalanne’s works, part of a broader trend where modern design objects are commanding prices previously reserved for antique art. The same auction was anchored by another record-breaking design piece, signaling a shift in collector priorities. The consignment portal’s role here is notable: a digital submission transformed a unique 1998 object into a seven-figure asset.
Collectors now face a tighter market for Lalanne’s early output. With the first ‘Singerie’ armchair sold, the remaining unique pieces from this era are likely to attract higher bids at future Sotheby’s events, particularly as the auction house continues to promote modern design through digital channels.