Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544634
It was the hippo cry heard around the world — and it all started in Houston. Well, not a cry, exactly … More like a $31.4 million exclamation. When a rare hippo-shaped bar by Francois-Xavier Lalanne blew past its $7 to $10 million estimate at Sotheby's New York last December, the record-setting price made headlines worldwide. "The result was historic on every level: the highest price ever achieved 24 for François-Xavier Lalanne, the highest price ever for a work of design at auction, and more than triple its high estimate after a spirited 26-minute bidding battle," says Jodi Pollack, Sotheby's chairman, co-worldwide head of 20th century design, and chairman of major collections. The sale was part of Sotheby's Schlumberger Collection, which has also given collectors and the public a rare glimpse into the world of the late Houston heiress and philanthropist Anne Schlumberger. Over a lifetime, she collected everything from Impressionist art to Surrealist jewelry by Salvador Dalí. Works from both categories were featured in late- 2025 sales; additional pieces — including African sculpture, prints, and smaller works — will continue to be offered through 2026. Thanks to The Schlumberger Collection, we now see the breadth of her eye: a trove of 20th-century masterpieces ranging from Claude Monet's Vue de Rouen depuis la côte Sainte-Catherine (which sold for more than $7 million last November at Sotheby's New York's Modern Day Auction) to Picasso ceramics and floor lamps by Alberto Giacometti. Her jewelry collection was also remarkable, with pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati, Lalaounis and, notably, $31.4 Million Dollars, to Be Exact By Ingrid Abramovitch The Late Houston Heiress Anne Schlumberger and a Record-Breaking Lalanne Hippo "The result was historic on every level: the highest price ever achieved for François-Xavier Lalanne, the highest price ever for a work of design at auction..." — Jodi Pollack, Sotheby's Salvador Dalí, Swirling Sea Necklace, 1963, realized $855,229 USD when it sold in Sotheby's Surrealism and Its Legacy auction in Paris on October 24, 2025. François- Xavier Lalanne, Hippopotame Bar, pièce unique, 1976