Zemaitis should be credited for initiating the ‘curated’ sales, which have come to change the face of design auctions and of the way we buy design. He loves sharing his immense knowledge, experience and expertise, and as he is both an educator and a charismatic speaker, listening to him is always a joy and didactic experience. If you don’t follow him on Instagram yet, please do, as it was recently named the top design feed by Vanity Fair London. In his current position as the Director of Museum Relationship at R & Company, James travels the country, examining museum collections, and helping curators to enhance the permanent design collections of American museums.
The subject of the talk this morning was the recent and fascinating design auction week. Zemaitis highlighted some important lots, surprising results, examining the state of the market, with the stories behind the scenes. I can a selection of the objects we discussed, but the stories remain behind the scenes.
Above: Christopher Dresser, Teapot, ca. 1879 manufactured by James Dixon & Sons, from the Design Sale of Christie’s; Estimate $80,000 – $120,000; Realized $399,000, at Christie’s.
