On 27 April 2016 PIASA staged a sale devoted to American furniture from the 1940s to 1980s. The rigorous selection offered a fresh opportunity to explore the wealth of the American Craft movement via iconic works from the leading figures of the New Hope School: Paul Evans, George Nakashima and Philip & Kelvin Laverne.
Works by Paul Evans (1931-87) provoked tremendous demand as prices well clear of estimate paid tribute to the most important designer and sculptor of American Modernism. His majestic cabinet in copper, steel, brass and wood fetched €68,100 (lot 13, est. €38,000-45,000) and his one-off pair of fabric-upholstered resin armchairs from the 1970s
soared to €83,000 (lot 12, est. €28,000-35,000).
Excellent results were also obtained for designs by George Nakashima (1905-90), ‘a father of the American craft movement.’ His Modernist Free Edge sideboard in American walnut and raffia – his favourite materials – flew to €70,600 (lot 53, est. €25,000-35,000), while his Conoid bench in hickory and American walnut, a unique piece from 1961, claimed €54,100 (lot 54, est. €40,000-60,000).
