Think this is a memorable piece?

[John Shuk]

This chair recently sold at auction for 28 Million dollars.
http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/6170-THIS-is-what-a-28-million-dollar-chair-looks-like-


Exact price aside do you think this is a significant piece? Is it worth noting as some might see a Chippendale or Stickley or perhaps an Eames?
Just looking for some lively discussion and not really a bashing session of folks who have lots of money. The 28 Million is pretty extreme in my eyes but what do you think of the chair?

[Von Bickley]

If I saw that chair at a yard sale with a price tag of $5.00, I would pass. :)

[Bill Petersen]

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only person to think it's just plain butt ugly.
Bill

[Bob Rufener]

Some people have toooooo much money.

[Belinda Barfield]

Well, even with the provenance I believe I could have found something more tasteful to spend that kind of money on. It is an interesting chair though.

[Joe Pelonio]

The upholstered part does look comfortable, but the wood part, while it obviously took some talent to create, is not the least bit appealing to me.

The price fetched is likely based on the prior owner, rather than aesthetics.

[GERALD HARGROVE]

Simply nothing to do with the peice but the history. Not sure if history is worth that much money, but apparently to someone it is.

[Chris Padilla]

Simply nothing to do with the peice but the history. Not sure if history is worth that much money, but apparently to someone it is.

Bingo, the buyer paid for PROVENANCE...not the item.

[Bruce Page]

Proof that money doesn’t buy taste.

[John Schreiber]

It's the recession. Six months ago it would have gone for $50 million.

[Thomas Pender]

History of ownership or not, it is just plain crazy to pay that much for a chair and it does confirm some people have to much money and insufficient common sense.

[Gene Howe]

Didn't Norm build one like that?:D

[John Shuk]

I agree about the upholstery looking very comfortable and it looks like very luxurious leather.
I think it probably looked pretty good in it's original setting. Once removed from the original element it pretty much dies off.
I don't think it is a timeless design. It isn't even a design that speaks to me.
As a collectible it's pretty much like a baseball card.... no real use or value but makes some sort of a connection for somebody.
I would like to sit in it though.

[Brian Kent]

$28,000,000.

I understand Maloof rockers go as high as $120,000 at auction, so I think I'll use $24,000,000 for 200 Maloof Rockers and spend the other $4,000,000 for a house to put them in.

[David DeCristoforo]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugl y

Yves.... baby.... What were you thinking???? Oh... that people will buy anything? OK, guess you nailed that one!

[Larry Edgerton]

I read about that auction. All told by the time it was done it brought in over 400 million. There were many interesting and beautiful things for sale, but I do not consider that chair one of them. There is no flow, something you would expect from that form, and the craftsmanship is not all that impressive either, It doesn't even look comfortable.

Every time I get to where I think I understand beauty, I find that others do not share the same view?

In this time when a craftsman such as myself is having a hard time keeping my head above water, a sale such as this just makes you wonder, does it not? I wonder what the man who made this chair was paid? I wonder what is wrong with a society when someone will pay 28 mil for an ugly chair, when whole countrys are hungry. I find some of these kinds of things disturbing, not sure why.

All of the 400 and change million were given to charity by Yev's boyfriend, and although that is a wonderful thing in and of itself, that kind of wealth just boggles my mind. I work for people with 20 million dollar homes, and I have a hard time wrapping my mind around that, let alone a 28 million dollar chair less than 100 years old [History?] and ugly to boot.

As I grow older I just come up with more questions.........

[John Schreiber]

. . . As I grow older I just come up with more questions.........
Me too.

I don't trust people who think they understand the world.

[Gene Howe]

All of the 400 and change million were given to charity by Yev's boyfriend, and although that is a wonderful thing in and of itself, that kind of wealth just boggles my mind. I work for people with 20 million dollar homes, and I have a hard time wrapping my mind around that, let alone a 28 million dollar chair less than 100 years old [History?] and ugly to boot.

As I grow older I just come up with more questions.........

I feel a little better about it knowing that it all went to charity.

BTW, Larry. Wonder of the buyer pays personal prop.taxes in Michigan?:eek:

[Mike Langford]

It's estimated price was $2,587,711 to $3,881,567.......


.....Looks to me like some rich folks got caught up in a bidding war! :eek: ;)



Glad it went to charity!

[David Epperson]

Personally I'm amazed that it looks so contemporary. When you consider that it was made some 90 years ago.

[Phil Green]

I think it's an interesting design. Not my style, but I like the organic nature of it.

Now as to the price,..... 28 dollars maybe,......but 28 MILLION DOLLARS????? It only proves that this world is cracked and we are the only sane ones left.

Phil

[Brian Kent]

Is it a memorable piece? I truly don't think I can forget this one!

[Paul Greathouse]

I'm sure all of you have noticed the threads recently where people are asking if its possible to earn a living as a furniture maker or woodworker. I guess the sale of the chair that is the subject of this thread would answer thier question.

All you have to do is build one of these ugly chairs and the rest of your life you would be on easy street. That is, if you could get some famous guy to sit in it and if you could live comfortably on $28,000,000.

I think I'll keep my day job.:D

[Dick Strauss]

It reminds me of trying to sit between two curled elephant tusks.

In the words of Austin Powers..."it's not my bag baby!"

[Myk Rian]

I wonder if AIG funded the purchase price.

[Aaron Berk]

I thought it look more like octopus tentacles. Something Captain Nemo might use. I'd pay $20 for it. But history is priceless, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Ken Werner]

Looks like Princess Leia's hair in the old Star Wars. It was ugly then, and it's ugly now. Creative and shi-shi maybe, but to my old tastes, ugly.

[Tom Godley]

When you look over the collection of "stuff" they collected -- They had wonderful taste. Many the chair looks better next to a Matisse :)