“What’s that?” your client asks, motioning to the distinctive lamp in the corner?
“Oh that,” you say, pleased your client noticed. “That’s the Frank Lloyd Wright Double-Pedestal Lamp created for the Susan Lawrence Dana House.” You pause for dramatic effect: “One of only two in existence.”
It’s a conversation piece worth between $3 and $5 million. (Though you don’t disclose how much you paid for it. That’d be in poor taste.)
FLW’s rare lamp will headline Sotheby’s Modern Evening Auction in New York and stands as the most important work by Wright ever offered at auction. Public viewings are set for, May 2–13 at Sotheby’s New York galleries.
It’s one of only two ever crafted by Wright for the Dana-Thomas House—a pivotal early-career commission. The other remains in the permanent collection of the house in Springfield, Ill., secured in 1988 with the support of Illinois Governor Jim Thompson and the Dana-Thomas House Foundation.
From its bold shape to its colorful geometric design, the lamp captures a moment in history when electricity was still new and reflects Wright’s unique ability to turn everyday objects into works of art.
When last seen at auction in 2002, the lamp sold for $2 million. Today, Sotheby’s expects the piece to fetch between $3 and $5 million.
“The Dana House Double-Pedestal Lamp marks a landmark moment for American design and the legacy of our most influential and visionary architect, Frank Lloyd Wright,” says Jodi Pollack, Sotheby’s Chairman and Co-Worldwide Head of 20th Century Design. “As the last remaining example of this treasured icon to remain in private hands, this offering presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors and institutions to acquire one of the great masterpieces of our generation.
“It’s like owning a perfect little house—by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright,” Pollack adds. “Each of us in the auction world has a personal ‘wish list’ of dream objects. This lamp has always been at the top of my list.”
Sotheby’s maintains its track -record of bringing significant Wright pieces to market and holds the current auction record for a Wright-designed object: the Francis W. Little House Ceiling Light, sold for $2.9 million in 2023 from the Wolf Family Collection.
