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Niemeyer from the 1930s to 60s.
In Hong Kong, the trend of investing in mid-century
furniture started about six years ago when people in the
design and art industry here started taking an interest in midcentury
designers. “The names and works of these designers
then became part of the lexicon among this group, and more
people became aware of their works,” says Little. “Now, you
pay three to five times more for mid-century furniture than
you would have 10 years ago.”
In Asia, it is still a very high-end, niche market, and
collectors might have to travel to places like Galerie Jousse
in Paris, Fresh Kills or Lost City Arts in New York City,
or vintage markets and fairs in Europe to hunt down a
true gem. Both Sotheby’s and Christie’s have departments
dedicated to 20th century design, but their specialty auctions
in these areas are still focused on New York, London and
Paris, but not anywhere in Asia. This is because Asia is not a
good hunting ground for such pieces as most mid-century
design was produced in Europe or America. “We have some
great collectors of 20th century design in the region, but not
yet at the depth we would need to conduct separate sales in
Hong Kong. The market here is still slowly developing,” says
Daryl Wickstrom, Deputy Chairman, Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
Verdier believes that mid-century furniture is a good
investment as there is a growing global taste for furniture
designed during that period. “This is a structured market,
sustained by the participation of strong international dealers,”
she says.
For fans, mid-century furniture is more than just a
couch to lounge on, a pretty lamp, or a desk to work at, it
is functional, sculptural art to be treasured and looked after.
“When you buy original mid-century modern, your money
is not gone,” says Lawrence Blairs, owner of Atomic Design
in Toronto, “It’s merely locked away.” R
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