Claude Lalanne Mirrors Set New Auction Record in Sale of the Collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg
The suite of 15 mirrors made for Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé brought $33.5 million in Sotheby’s groundbreaking auction
When François-Xavier Lalanne’s Hippopotame Bar, pièce unique achieved $31.4 million in a December 2025 auction after a 26-minute bidding frenzy, it set a slew of records, including a new benchmark for the artist and the highest price ever paid for an example of collectible design. However, Sotheby’s left its own achievements in tatters when a set of 15 mirrors by Claude Lalanne brought $33.5 million in the April 22 live sale of the Collection of Jean & Terry de Gunzburg. Five bidders sent the price soaring, far outpacing its $10 million to $15 million estimate during a heated 10-minute battle.
“The de Gunzburg Collection stands among the most significant and visionary assemblages of design to come to auction in this generation, representing the very pinnacle of French design,” says Jodi Pollack, Sotheby’s chairman of 20th century design and chairman of major collections. “The pièce de résistance is the extraordinary ensemble of mirrors by Claude Lalanne, created for the Music Room of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. These mirrors mark the magnum opus of Claude Lalanne’s early artistic imagination and established a defining hallmark of her oeuvre.”
An accomplished aesthete, Terry de Gunzburg worked at Yves Saint Laurent Beauté for 15 years, cultivating groundbreaking cosmetics—including the legendary Touche Éclat concealer—inspired by the couturier’s unparalleled vision. Alongside her husband, Jean, a molecular and cell biologist, the couple amassed a staggering trove of exceptional artworks and design pieces, approximately 107 of which were dispersed in sales at Sotheby’s, presumed to be the most valuable single-owner sale in the house’s history. Among the other exquisite items crossing the block were a rare André Groult cabinet with a $600,000 to $800,000 estimate that went for $2.1 million; a pair of Jean-Michel Frank armchairs with a $250,000 to $350,000 estimate that brought $1.2 million; and an Alberto Giacometti Grand Feuille floor lamp that outpaced its $250,000 to $350,000 estimate, achieving $1.1 million.
“Over time, Jean and Terry de Gunzburg have shaped one of the most intellectually rigorous and aesthetically coherent design collections of our time, guided by an extraordinary eye and an exceptional freedom of taste,” says Florent Jeanniard, Sotheby’s chairman and co-worldwide head of design. “Their approach to collecting reflects a profound sensitivity not only to individual masterpieces, but to the dialogue that emerges between works when they are lived with over decades. Their New York home became a complete artistic environment, where seminal creations by the greatest artists and designers of the 20th century exist in remarkable harmony. It is a privilege to present a collection of such clarity, conviction, and lasting significance.”
A number of other Les Lalannes items were included in today’s sale, such as Pomme d’Hiver and Très Grand Choupatte by Claude Lalanne, which far exceeded their early estimates, hammering at $8.7 million and $5.9 million, respectively, as well as François-Xavier Lalanne’s Grand Oiseau de Peter Branche, which sold for $3.4 million, well beyond its $600,000 to $800,000 estimate.
“Collecting has been one of the great privileges of our lives, a journey guided entirely by instinct, curiosity, and the pleasure of living with works that moved us deeply,” says Jean and Terry de Gunzburg in a statement. “Each piece we chose became part of our daily environment and shaped the way we experienced our home and our lives together. Over time, the collection came to reflect not only the artists and designers we admired, but the values that guided us—freedom of thought, creativity, and discovery. We are proud to share it now through our partnership with Sotheby’s, and hope it will continue to inspire new custodians, including our children, to follow their own paths of looking, learning, and collecting.”
“To step into the de Gunzburg’s homes is to encounter a singular and deeply considered vision, where masterpieces of design and art exist in dynamic dialogue, each informing and elevating the other,” suggests Pollack. “As global demand for masterpiece-level design continues to intensify, this collection offers a rare opportunity to acquire works of truly unprecedented quality. It stands at the forefront of a new era in collecting, embodying the vision and discernment that defines today’s pursuit of exceptional design.”