A limited edition patinated bronze ape (Singe Avise Grand) by late French artist Francois-Xavier Lalanne is expected to bring $400,000-600,000 to Phillips New York on June 11.
 The ape is one of just eight examples |
Numbered seven from an edition of eight, the charming bronze ape was created by Lalanne circa 2005.
Francois-Xavier Lalanne and his wife and long-term co-creator Claude Lalanne are famed for fashioning whimsical sculptural items from a variety of materials.
Francois-Xavier favoured animal themes, while Claude was inspired by vegetation.
He was cast into the spotlight after singer Serge Gainsbourg selected a work by Lalanne to feature on the cover of his 1976 album, L'Homme a Tete Chou (meaning man with cabbage head) - a decision which saw the values of works by the artist soar.
Three sheep-based pieces by Lalanne auctioned for a combined £1.6m ($2.5m) in 2012.
 Cake: the Campana brothers are famed for their outlandish designs |
Another exciting lot set to star at Phillips is "Cake" - a stool made by Brazilian brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana.
Created circa 2008, the stool is composed of a variety of stuffed animals.
Numbered 68 from an edition of 150, the piece has been given a $20,000-30,000 estimate.
A comparable Campana stool, also made from a patchwork of plush toys, sold for $18,000 in October 2011.
The high end, contemporary furniture market remains in good health. Wright's Scandinavian Furniture auction totalled $1.6m on May 16, with a set of six waste baskets designed by PS Heggen selling with a 650% increase on their $5,000 top estimate for $37,500.
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