We have created for you a selection of mid-October auctions among design, curiosities, and memorabilia. Stay updated by consulting our section dedicated to auctions.
Let’s start with PIASA which, after the auction on French design – among the pieces a fine table by Diego Giacometti, brother of the more famous Alberto -, launches the auction on Italian design.
Wednesday, October 8 at 5 PM, the “Italian Design” auction will be held live. Appointment in Paris, at number 118 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. On October 29, it will be the turn of Finnish design, but the lots have not yet been revealed.
The auction of PIASA on Italian design
224 lots of the highest quality starting from 1000 euros to reach higher figures.
We start from the sofa by Cesare Lacca (1929) in lacquered walnut and fabric (4-6 thousand euros). We move on to sought-after pieces like the Bar cabinet in walnut, parchment, glass, engraved glass, leather by Paolo Buffa (1903-1970).
Many creations by Gio Ponti (1891-1979) such as the set of 8 chairs “Model 969” in walnut and white fabric (estimate 20-30 thousand euros); the chandelier in brass and plexiglass, Giordano Chiesa edition (15-20 thousand euros); the suspended chandelier with 24 lights – “Pavone” model in brass and frosted glass, Arredoluce Edition (100,000/150,000 €). Also, Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978) with the table lamp Crescita in steel and gold leaf, by Officine Zanon (20-30 thousand euros). The ceiling lamp by Barovier & Toso in glass, gold leaf, and lacquered steel: a myriad of white and pink flowers similar to hibiscus (20-30 thousand euros). By Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) a series (originally of 12) of tables in plywood and stained wood are up for auction. They resemble flowers, each with an estimate of 3-4 thousand euros.
Also noteworthy are works designed by Angelo Lelii (1915-1987), Studio B.B.P.R., Carlo Mollino (1905-1973), Max Ingrand (1908-1969), the beautiful Chaise longue – Model PS16 “Dondolo” by Franco Albini (1905-1977).
Wanennes also focuses on Italian design
On October 16, 2025, appointment with Wanesses for a web/live auction in 2 sessions (2 PM and 5 PM). Highlights? A double bed by Osvaldo Borsani, a floor lamp by Vittorio Gregotti (€ 2,800 – 3,200), Gaetano Pesce. The lots start from 100-150 euros up to the collection of glasses by Alessandro Mendini, to be completed in 3 years, estimated at 11-15,000 euros. Every year, for 3 consecutive years, 3 glasses are released: in 1993, 1994, and 1995. The variety of collectible pieces ranges from the stereo device by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni (€4,000-6,000) to the twelve-piece cutlery set by Fratelli Calderoni, 1970s, estimated at €300-500.
In total, a whopping 492 lots all to discover!
The Uncanny online auction by Bohmans
In the online event of Bohmans, from October 20 to 29, dedicated to the “Uncanny,” a mask will be auctioned. The estimate is £1,500 – £2,000. It consists of one of the costumes from the film Dune by David Lynch (1984): a head of a Second Level Guild Navigator. The film is based on the 1965 science fiction novel of the same name, by Frank Herbert.
Among other curiosities, a rare appearance of the story The Vampire, attributed in this publication to Lord Byron. In fact, although the author of The Vampyre was the physician John William Polidori (1795-1821), secretary to Byron from 1816, the story was first conceived by Lord Byron. The writer was with Polidori, Mary Shelley, and Percy Shelley at Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva in 1816. To pass the time, the friends invented a contest. Thus, novels like Frankenstein and The Modern Prometheus were born. This piece of history is estimated at £10,000 – £20,000.
The Dorotheum auction: furniture, works of art, glass & porcelain
On October 21, the live auction of Dorotheum in Vienna awaits you. Up for auction is a very rich selection of furniture, mirrors, porcelains, candelabras, armchairs, nightstands, and accessories in baroque and rococo style and of Austrian, French, Italian craftsmanship. It starts from estimates accessible to all 200-300 euros for some Venetian glasses. High estimates are those of a Piedmontese dresser (circa 1785/90) in neoclassical style and a pair of candelabras signed by Francesco Righetti with pharaohs in gilded bronze (50-70,000 euros). The highest estimate is that of the Large crater vase with “fleurs en terrasse” by Joseph Nigg. The manufacture is imperial (Vienna 1825), the range goes from 80,000 to 120,000 euros.
The October auctions: New York with Sotheby’s for Hyde Park Antiques
Appointment in NY for October 15. The auction Hyde Park Antiques: An Unreserved Farewell by Sotheby’s focuses on the treasures of one of the main suppliers, both in New York and internationally, of English furniture from the William and Mary, Georgian, and Regency periods. The nineteenth-century gallery founded by Benard Karr and a reference point for many antique enthusiasts was located on Broadway. After sixty years, the Karrs have decided to close it. Sotheby’s will offer a selection of over two hundred lots from their inventory. Among the most important pieces are an important pair of rococo mirrors by John Linnell, George III style chest of drawers, a pair of Chinese lacquer chests. Then, exceptional works from the Regency period, including a rare drum table with lectern previously belonging to the collection of the Duke of Leeds at Hornby Castle, a pair of English Boulle Regency tables, and a side cabinet and tables by George Bullock.
Sotheby’s after the collection of Roberto Agostinelli, awaiting the auction of the maison of Princess Niloufar Pahlavi
The auction of the collection of Roberto Agostinelli took place today, October 6, and recorded good results. The lots come from his London residence, furnished by Jacques Grange. The same interior designer curated the sale of the collection of Princess Niloufar Pahlavi, being a close friend of the imperial family for over fifty years. The appointment is scheduled for October 14 in Paris at Sotheby’s. The princess’s collection comes from a Parisian hôtel particulier, hidden within a garden. This setting was first decorated by the legendary Renzo Mongiardino at the end of the ’70s. Jacques Grange then restored it in the early 2000s. Thus, we can find a table by Diego Giacometti alongside Tibetan Buddhas, while works by Christo and Jean Messagier echo the furniture of Garouste and Bonetti and the lights of Maison Perzel.
Artcurial with the memorabilia of the great men of the past
The auction house Artcurial instead offers memorabilia and objects that belonged to important men from the past of French history from the Ancien Régime to the revolutionary period, from the Napoleonic rise with the Egyptian Campaign, the Consulate, and the end of the 19th century. Also, a large number of artifacts related to the duo Paul-Reynaud and Charles De Gaulle. You can find the Constitution of the French Republic (Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1958) at €3,000-5,000, including keychains and letters.
She has collaborated for many years with art magazines such as Artribune, XIBT Contemporary, ArtApp, Insideart and Espoarte, preferring contemporary art in its many facets and media drifts.
