A pair of marble and wrought iron bird armchairs by Francois-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) achieved an impressive increase on estimate at Heritage Auctions' April 23 design sale in Dallas.
The chairs sold for $269,000 - up 668.5% on their valuation of $35,000.
 Works by Les Lalannes have significantly increased in value in the last 10 years |
Lalanne is best known for the playful and surreal work he produced alongside his wife Claude under the name Les Lalannes.
Their furniture and sculpture designs have proven enormously popular among collectors of late.
Recent sales include L'enlevement D'Europe, which sold for $485,000 at Sotheby's New York and "Mouton", a model sheep that made $341,000 in June last year.
Two other pieces by Lalanne also achieved strong results, with a smaller pair of bird chairs achieving $209,000.
A large patinated copper rhinoceros cabinet sold for $203,000 against a $35,000 estimate - an increase of 480%.
Spray (1970), a work by the sound artist and sculptor Harry Bertoia (1915-1978), achieved a small increase of 7.1% when it sold for $75,000 against a $70,000 valuation.
The elegant form comprises stainless steel rods topped with brass beads that create incidental sound.
Bertoia's work has also been selling well recently, with Golden Rods making $521,000 at Phillips New York last year.
His record was set by a large sculpture titled Screen Tree, which sold for $578,500 at Christie's New York in 2012.
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