A.C.E. Series:
Modern and Contemporary Design
One of the country’s broadest collections of works dating back to the 19th Century, The Indianapolis Museum of Art boasts extensive examples of European painting and sculpture, Asian and African art, contemporary art, works on paper, and fashion and textiles. The Design and Decorative Arts Gallery is the largest permanent collection of gallery space devoted to modern and contemporary design in the nation.
The majority of the pieces for sale here are duplicates. Their mates will remain in the museum’s permanent collection and will be reinstalled when the new design gallery opens at the end of July. Some, like the Marcel Brueur Wassily and the Mario Bellini Amanta chairs, were used in lounges and public spaces by guests visiting the institution.
Encompassing modern and contemporary works from the 20th and 21st centuries, the collection for sale here displays a range of approaches to design: from the irreverent radicalism of Italian designers of 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s — as exemplified by Gaetano Pesche’s “Il Pede” chair — to Oscar Tusquets Blanca dinnerware: functional, beautiful, and with surprises pops of red ornamentation on the underside.
In many, the process or material becomes the driving force behind the design itself. Such is the case with the Philippe Starck “Miss Balu” table, with a curved base that gives a subtle nod to neoclassical form, but is rendered in modern polypropylene. Throughout the entire collection, the museum’s desire to show “objects of beauty at many price points” is evident.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
KitchenAid Artisan Series Yellow 5 Quart Stand Mixer With Accessories
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Henredon Houndstooth-Upholstered English Roll-Arm Easy Chair
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K Enameled Champagne Bottle Charm
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Drexel Custom-Painted and Parcel-Gilt Media Armoire, Late 20th Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
English Cut Glass Decanters with Sterling Silver Rims and Decanter Tags, 1930s
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Watson Sterling Baby Utensils with Floral Motif and Dog Portrait
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
1950s Rhinestone Miriam Haskell Brooch
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Dee Sudbury Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting Of Flower Field, Late 20th C.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Hermès "Les Cles" Burgundy and Gold Silk Scarf
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Robert Noble Oil Painting Genre Scene of Man Carrying Ladder, 1878
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Lenox "Holiday" and "Holiday Nouveau" Porcelain Dinnerware and Serving Bowl
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Fred Aris Serigraph After Paul Klee "Figure in the Garden"
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Jack Meanwell Abstract Oil Pastel Drawing, Late 20th Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Large Louis XV Style Painted Trumeau Mirror
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Machine-Stitched Fabric 48-Star American Flag, Mid to Late 20th C.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Swedish Vicke Lindstrand for Kosta Glass "Feathers" Etched Glass Bowl
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Bernhardt Baroque Style Walnut-Stained and Rope-Carved Armchair
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Citizen Two-Tone Eco-Drive Wristwatch
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Painted Wood Rocking Horse
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Josef Albers Serigraph from "Formulation: Articulation" Suite, 1972
Hans Wegner
So iconic it is sometimes referred to simply as “The Chair,” Wegner’s design took 7 years to refine. The result is a nuanced piece with attenuated curves on the crest rail and arms.
Philippe Starck
Known for designs that prize expression, Starck frequently updates neoclassical or French silhouettes with modern materials.
Monika Mulder
Once an IKEA intern, the artist is known for sleek, functional, Scandinavian design.
Alfredo Haberli
While some 1960s-1980s-era designers thumbed their noses at function, others like Haberli embraced a modern ideology that form should follow function. Champagne glasses, for example, should reduced down to their most essential part.