Artcurial’s Aeronautical Sale: Not just for airheads

At its Aeronautical Sale in Paris on 13 June, Artcurial will offer flight-related memorabilia and an intriguing selection of ‘aeronautical design’ furniture among its 250 lots, alongside three training and stunt planes for those enthusiasts who have more space and slightly deeper pockets.

Our eye was immediately caught by the ejection seat from a Mirage F1 (below, right), an object to delight even the least aeronautically minded of collectors (estimate: €2,500 – 4,000), although it’s hard to think of an occasion when its functional ability could (legally) be put to good use.

Meanwhile, there’s a striking piece of aeronautically themed furniture in the shape of the ‘Elevate Sofa’ prototype, built from Airbus A340 porthole panels (estimate: €15,000 – 25,000, pictured, bottom) by Les Ateliers Flown and the designer Marc Venot.

Airbus panels must be in high demand as they’re also used – along with white marble – to form the ‘F-bar’, a bar-like seating area with “an aerial and light atmosphere, highlighted by LED indirect lighting, reminiscent of the singular atmosphere and intimate setting of night flight, when lit” (estimate: €10,000 – 15,000).

To interest serious enthusiasts, an important collectors’ item from the era of the aviation pioneers is the brown-leather flight helmet worn by American aviator Charles Lindbergh for his Atlantic crossing on 20-22 May 1927, which will go under the hammer at an estimate of €30,000 to 50,000.

As for the planes themselves, these are the 1949 Stampe SV-4C biplane (estimate: €75,000 – 95,000); the 1960 P-149 by Focke-Wulf Piaggio (estimate: €30,000 – 40,000, pictured, top); and the 1978 Mudry Cap 10B (estimate: €70,000 – 90,000).

Viewing is from 9 to 12 June 2017, with the sale starting at 14:00 on 13 June, at Artcurial’s HQ, 7 Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris.

Photos by Artcurial