On March 25th Bonhams Los Angeles held a two-session Modern Design | Art auction featuring a collection of vintage American radios. Leading the sale was a rare mirror, selling for $237,813 against an initial estimate of $30,000 – 50,000. The mirror, once owned by Karl Lagerfeld and displayed in his Paris studio, was made by Gilbert Poillerat in 1948. The price achieved for this piece is a world auction record for a mirror of its model and the third highest price the designer has achieved at auction. In addition to the mirror, another record-breaking result came from an electroplated copper and enamel bowl, by June Schwarcz. Expected to fetch between $3,000 – 5,000, it sold for over ten times its high estimate at $52,813 and established a new auction world record for the enamelist.

The auction in total achieved $1,574,750 and was 85% sold by value.

Bonhams Director of Modern Decorative Art and Design Jason Stein said: "Achieving well over four times its high estimate, the wrought-iron mirror designed by Poillerat is a masterful example of 20th century design. Adorned with symmetrical branch details and topped with golden drapery beneath a spiked golden orb, it fully embodies the finest of the French designer's unmatched metalworking abilities. This remarkable result combined with the collective success of lots from various periods of modern design history—including the group of vintage radios—stands as a testament to the confidence with which buyers are actively engaging and the strength of the market for high quality objects of noteworthy provenance."

The afternoon portion of the auction consisted entirely of a collection of 88 American vintage radios from the 1930s and 40s, represented the finest radio makers from the era, including Air King, Sparton, Tom Thumb, Fada, and Emerson. The group was led by two 1933 Air King 66 Skyscraper sets, both estimated at $15,000 to $25,000. Both exceeded expectations, with the mint green edition selling for $44,063 and the lavender for $40,313.