François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Hippopotame Bar’ Sets a New Auction Record for the Artist

A hippopotamus bar breaks records

A copper and brass hippopotamus bar broke the record for the priciest design object sold at auction. Expected by Sotheby’s to fetch between $7-10 million, François-Xavier Lalanne’s eventually pulled down $31.4 million Wednesday. A furious 26-minute contest between seven bidders pushed the sale beyond Lalanne’s previous auction record — the brass , which featured a desk, safe, bar and wine storage — by more than $10 million. The hippo features a …

François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Hippopotame Bar’ Sets a New Auction Record for the Artist

The work sold for $31.4 million with fees at Sotheby's—the highest price for the artist and for a work of design at auction.

‘Hippopotame Bar’ Shatters Design Auction Records, Sells for $31.4M

François-Xavier Lalanne’s 1976 hippo-shaped bar now stands as the world’s most valuable design object ever sold at auction.

At $31.4 million, this Lalanne hippo just smashed another world auction record at Sotheby’s

The jaw-dropping price marked the highest-ever for a work by François-Xavier Lalanne –and for a work of design generally

Why a Hippo Just Redefined the Market: Lalanne’s Hippopotame Bar Sells for $31.4M at Sotheby’s

François-Xavier Lalanne’s Hippopotame Bar rewrote the design market this week, soaring to $31.4 million at Sotheby’s New York, more than...

Lalanne’s ‘Hippopotame Bar’ Sells for $31.4 M., Shattering Design Auction Record

François-Xavier Lalanne’s Hippopotame Bar sold today for a staggering $31.4 million at Sotheby’s in New York, shattering every precedent in the market for design and setting a new auction record for the artist by a wide margin. Estimated at $7 million–$10 million, the hand-wrought copper bar more than tripled its high estimate after a 26-minute bidding contest among seven bidders. Not only does the result confirm Lalanne’s commercial star powe…