Four Seasons Auction Raises $4.1 Million, Exceeds Expectations
The contents of the iconic Four Seasons restaurant were auctioned off for an impressive $4.1 million, far exceeding the presale estimate of $1.33 million, The New York Times reported.
The nearly 15-hour auction took place Tuesday in the Pool Room. Furniture, signage, flatware, cutlery, and other pieces were up for the taking.
The first lot — a bronze sign designed by Emil Antonucci that featured the restaurant's seasonal logo — was sold for $96,000, though early auction estimates predicted it to sell for $5,000–$7,000. Four china dishes "reminiscent of a 'Mad Men' era" were sold to an unnamed telephone bidder for $10,000.
At the last minute, the restaurant's owners Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini withdrew a number of items from the auction to donate to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a Four Seasons period room.
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