M.C. ESCHER, Icosaëder [Icosahedron], 1963
12,5 x 12,5 x 12,5 cm
printed tin box with embossed relief
edition 7100
published by Verblifa / Vereenigde Blikfabrieken, Krommenie; on behalf of its 75th anniversary
not available
Originally M.C. Escher was not interested in a commission to make a tin box. Nevertheless a delegation of Verblifa convinced the artist eventually by showing a box called Koh-I-Noor once designed in 1955 for the Verkade chocolate factory, i.e. a Icosahedron, a geometrical shape with twenty sides. He got fascinated by this object and invented a way for having the box industrially produced by Verblifa.
The tin was produced in an edition of 6.800 and an additional 300 tins were produced to replace any defects.
Drawing of the invention for the production of the box by M.C. Escher displaying lid, hull and bottom.
Employees during the production of the icosahedron shaped tin boxes in Krommenie 1963.
History of prices.
Venduehuis, The Hague, Netherlands € 2.800,- 29 April 2021 (hammer price)
Auction house Christie’s, Amsterdam € 395,- / US$ 456.- / Dfl. 865,- December 1998
Auction house Vendue Huis, Den Haag € 800,- / US$ 1,060.- August 2013
New Art Editions US$ 1,425.- / € 1.075,- September 2014
BEN VAUTIER, Mensonges [tr. lies], ca 1962 – 1963
21,4 x 16,5 cm
ink stamp and stencil print on paper
published by the artist
inv.BVau 1013
This is a list of works with dates of creation, apparently meant as lies. The title of the works refer to an exhibition that took place in Vautier’s Fluxus shop ‘La cédille qui sourit’ in Nice, France.
KEN FRIEDMAN, This is really it! This is really it! This is?, ca 1962-1968
27,9 x 21,6 cm / 19,7 x 15,3 cm
prints on paper, folded as issued, petrified rubber band
3 parts from unknown source
inv.KFrie 1012
This is an unknown publication, probably connected to one of the “Fourre-Tout” publications produced by Ben Vautier in the sixties. An edition of 101 copies composed of two parts, i.e. a bocal and an envelope with artist’s contributions. For sale at Ben Vautier’s Fluxus shop ‘La Çedille qui rit’ in Nice, France. The theme of this issue “Fourre-Tout” (tr. mishmash) was apparently about “Realism”, although this is not explicitly outspoken in the accompanying text by ben Vautier.
BEN VAUTIER, Crisis and Nervous Depression, ca 1962-1963
11,4 x 10,1 cm / 4.6 x 3.9 inches
Fluxus announcement of event (to be filled in), black letterpress on thin paper
edition unknown
published by Total Art Gallery, Nice, France
condition: aged
rare
€ 385,- plus € 18,- Track & Trace registered mail
inv.BVau 1014
This statement of Ben Vautier is printed on very thin paper and a good example of his self-mockery he so often showed in his works: Ben, is so much of a true failure and a shabby fool, crying to be great, that he has had enough of it all.
A copy of this item is in the collection of the Walker Art Center in New York, USA and in the collection of Fondazione Bonotto, Colceresa, Italy.
