A rare complete set of Claude Lalanne's green-painted 'Ginkgo' dining suite will be auctioned at Christie's London on June 5, 2025, as part of a single-owner sale from the collection of Baron Diego von Buch. The 12-piece set, sold as four individual lots, is expected to fetch over £1 million ($1.4 million) total, with individual estimates ranging from £100,000 to £300,000 per lot. The sale includes 100 lots from von Buch's homes across Europe, featuring works by François-Xavier Lalanne, Fernand Léger, Fernando Botero, and Lee Ufan.
The auction matters because it presents the first complete 'Ginkgo' dining suite ever to appear on the market, with a rare green-painted finish that Claude Lalanne used only on select works. The sale also underscores the soaring market for Les Lalanne's designs, with Claude's auction record reaching $5.26 million in 2023 and François-Xavier's works surpassing $100 million in total sales last year. This event highlights the enduring appeal of Surrealist-influenced design and the strength of the high-end decorative arts market.