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 Columbus - Hilliard
Mid-Century Modern Upholstered Armchair
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Tiffany & Co. "Man in the Moon" Sterling Silver Baby Rattle, 2008-2023
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Mesh Bib Necklace
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Still Life Oil Painting of Iced Tea in Mason Jar With Lemon Slice
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Garncarek Aleksander Pond Landscape Oil Painting "Staw," 2024
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K 1.00 CTW Diamond Band
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Pair of French Baroque Cast Brass Fireplace Chenets
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Mid Century Modern Style Walnut Sculpted Front Nightstand Commode
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Ballard Designs Hutch-Shaped Office Armoire
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Rejina Pyo x Projekt Produkt RP-11 C03 Sunglasses
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Rookwood Pottery Floral Basket Art Tile, Early to Mid 20th Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Hudson River School Oil Painting of a Hunter on a Lake, Late 19th Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
English Georgian Style Pine Two-Drawer Table with Carved Skirt, 19th Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Lyngby Danish Porcelain Demitasse Coffee Service, 20th Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Ballard Designs "Garden District" Mirrors in Weathered Finish
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Eastlake Style Birdseye Maple and Single Drawer Desk, Late 19th Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Alfio Grasso Oil Painting of Seated Nude "Sunset," 1970
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
German Hanau 800 Silver Pierced Repoussé Courting Scenes Candlestick, 19th C.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Wooded Landscape Oil Painting of Pond
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Halftone Print After Tadashi Asoma's "Lily Pond in Summer"
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.