A set of four bronze Grenouille fountains by François-Xavier Lalanne, created in 1981 for American designer and collector Alexandra Marshall, will be the marquee lot at Christie’s Design auction on June 10 at Rockefeller Center, with an estimate of $2.5 million to $3.5 million. The fountains, the first Lalanne ever made, were originally installed around Marshall’s swimming pool in Houston, Texas. The sale also includes a patinated bronze ram by Lalanne (estimate $800,000–$1.2 million), a Henning Koppel eel covered dish from the estate of late collector Henry S. McNeil Jr., and 18 lots by Tiffany Studios, led by the Boyd Family Memorial Window (estimate $1.5–$2 million).
This auction underscores the enduring market strength of the Lalannes’ whimsical, functional sculptures, following the record $31.4 million sale of Anne Schlumberger’s Hippopotamus Bar at Sotheby’s last December. The frogs’ playful design—merging naturalism with surreal human hands and feet—and their direct commission by a patron highlight the unique collaborative relationships that defined the Lalannes’ practice. The sale also reflects broader trends in the decorative arts market, with high estimates for Tiffany stained glass and mid-century furniture by Sam Maloof and George Nakashima.