|
Citys dump fetches millions at Christies |
|
|
|
|
Written by Khushboo Sandhu, Chandigarh Newsline
|
|
Monday, 09 July 2007 |
 Furniture, artefacts by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret were sold very cheap in the city
Chandigarh. The furniture designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, another architect working with Le Corbusier, and other artefacts including pictures sold for around 8 million US dollars at the auction held at Christie's on June 5. The furniture had been bought from Panjab University, PGI, Assembly, government offices, Chandigarh College of Architecture, etc., for a paltry sum.
In fact, everything was sold at a much higher price than estimated earlier. Sample this - A library table made of teak, designed by Jeanneret, sold for 1,44,000 US dollars. The estimated price for the table was between 60,000 to 80,000 US dollars. A painted cedar and teak drawing table, whose estimated cost was also between 60,000 to 80,000 US dollars, was auctioned for 1,56,000 US dollars. A manhole cover designed by Jeanneret was sold for 21,600 US dollars.
From the Chandigarh College of Architecture, three painted wrought iron and teak stools were sold for 15,600 US dollars. Also auctioned were three teak armchairs. A pair of teak stools, a cedar and teak bed, a pair of teak chairs, etc., belonging to Panjab University also fetched good prices.
What, however, is a sad news for the city is that all these were sold at a pittance. Many items had been discarded as waste. According to rough estimates, almost 80 per cent of the furniture and other relics of the time have been sold. Some of the original drawings made by Le Corbusier are also missing from the city.
Waking up to what had happened, the UT Administration had constituted a committee to preserve what has been left. The committee is now trying to locate furniture and artefacts associated with Le Corbusier and Jeanneret. Some chairs designed by them have been preserved at the City Museum in Sector 10. There is also a proposal by UNESCO to give heritage status to the designs of Le Corbusier, which are present in the city.
| Comments () >> |
 |
| Write comment |
| You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet. |
 |
