Chandigarh’s beauty is not just in its greenery, but in its very bit and piece.
A total of six furniture items designed by Pierre Jeanneret were sold for Rs 1.5 crore at Phillips, a London-based auction house.
Pierre Jeanneret designed these articles of furniture for Panjab University (PU), Tagore Theatre and UT Secretariat.
- A set of six armchairs designed for Tagore Theatre fetched Rs 41.83 lakh.
- Office table desk with bookcase designed for the Secretariat and administrative buildings went for Rs 24.97 lakh.
- A demountable bed designed for Members Legislative Assembly flats, Panjab University student halls and other residences fetched Rs 22.90 lakh.
- Working table designed for private residences went for Rs 22.90 lakh.
- Pair of advocate and press armchairs designed for the high court were auctioned for Rs 37.46 lakh.
Heritage furniture designed by Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier during their stay in Chandigarh is being auctioned since 2007. The articles are purchased by foreign nationals at low prices and later they auction them at a higher price. In an auction held on January 22, articles of furniture designed by Pierre Jeanneret were sold for Rs 65.26 lakh at Rago Arts and Auction Center, a New Jersey-based auction house.
Since 2007, many more articles designed by the duo have been auctioned in various auction houses in France and US fetching amount that runs in lakhs and crores.
A city-based social activist has written to the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, to initiate a probe and stop auction of furniture in the future.
Source: Times of India