# Charlotte Perriand artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/charlotte-perriand/
Profile generated: 2026-04-29T21:29:10.464Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1903-10-24
- Death date: 1999-10-27
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Modernism, Functionalism
- Common media: tubular steel, wood, glass, bamboo

## About Charlotte Perriand

Charlotte Perriand (1903–1999) was a French architect, furniture designer, and industrial designer whose work helped define twentieth-century modernist design. Born in Paris, she joined Le Corbusier's studio in 1927, where she collaborated with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret on iconic furniture that embraced industrial materials and functional living. Perriand believed that better design contributes to a better society, a philosophy she articulated in her 1981 essay "L'Art de Vivre." Her output spans tubular-steel seating, modular storage systems, and prefabricated interior architecture. Beyond her Paris practice she worked extensively in Japan and French West Africa, integrating local materials and craft traditions into modernist principles. Her work is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and Tate, among other major institutions.

## Common works and media

Common works encountered in appraisal and auction contexts include tubular-steel chaise longues and adjustable armchairs from the Le Corbusier–Jeanneret–Perriand collaborations; modular bookcases and storage walls; dining and coffee tables in steel, glass, and wood; carved-wood and bamboo furniture from her Japan period; and limited-edition or unique interior-design commissions. Photographs and printed ephemera related to her design practice also appear on the market.

## Market and appraisal context

Charlotte Perriand's design work commands a deep, liquid secondary market with 2,376 recorded auction lots spanning 1999 to April 2026, of which 1,690 carry realized prices. The market is broad: 235 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window, up from 192 in the prior 12 months, signaling growing liquidity and collector interest. The price distribution is wide but right-skewed — the median sits at $5,200, the interquartile range spans roughly $2,000–$15,100, and the recorded maximum exceeds $1 million. Top-tier pieces, particularly period examples of her Japan-period and Les Arcs commissions, regularly achieve five- and six-figure results at houses like Christie's, Phillips, and Artcurial. Recent comparable lots illustrate the range: a Modèle "Brésil" bookcase fetched €16,000 at ARTESIA (Feb 2026), a free-form ash coffee table made €42,000 and a "Tokyo" bench €32,000 at Gros-Delettrez (Nov 2025), while Cassina-produced re-editions of the Indochine swivel chair traded without published results at Bonhams (Mar 2026). At the lower end, 1960s-edition prints and small accessories can sell below €1,000. The market is anchored by ten major auction houses — Christie's, Piasa, Artcurial, Wright, Leclere, Tajan, Aguttes, Phillips, Pierre Bergé & Associés, and Cornette de Saint-Cyr-Bruxelles — with strong French-house representation reflecting Perriand's Paris-centered career.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Charlotte Perriand's design work commands a deep, liquid secondary market with 2,376 recorded auction lots spanning 1999 to April 2026, of which 1,690 carry realized prices. The market is broad: 235 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window, up from 192 in the prior 12 months, signaling growing liquidity and collector interest. The price distribution is wide but right-skewed — the median sits at $5,200, the interquartile range spans roughly $2,000–$15,100, and the recorded maximum exceeds $1 million. Top-tier pieces, particularly period examples of her Japan-period and Les Arcs commissions, regularly achieve five- and six-figure results at houses like Christie's, Phillips, and Artcurial. Recent comparable lots illustrate the range: a Modèle "Brésil" bookcase fetched €16,000 at ARTESIA (Feb 2026), a free-form ash coffee table made €42,000 and a "Tokyo" bench €32,000 at Gros-Delettrez (Nov 2025), while Cassina-produced re-editions of the Indochine swivel chair traded without published results at Bonhams (Mar 2026). At the lower end, 1960s-edition prints and small accessories can sell below €1,000. The market is anchored by ten major auction houses — Christie's, Piasa, Artcurial, Wright, Leclere, Tajan, Aguttes, Phillips, Pierre Bergé & Associés, and Cornette de Saint-Cyr-Bruxelles — with strong French-house representation reflecting Perriand's Paris-centered career.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily uses these auction records alongside photographs, measured dimensions, material identification, maker's marks or signatures, condition reports, provenance documentation, edition or production date details, and comparable lots to estimate fair market or replacement value. For Perriand, the single most important appraisal step is establishing whether a piece is an original period example or a later authorized re-edition (e.g., Cassina production from 2014 onward), because this distinction can shift value by an order of magnitude. Documentation of collaborative attribution — whether a lot is credited to Perriand alone or jointly to Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Perriand — also materially affects comparable selection. The wide price distribution ($30 to $1,016,000) means that model identification, material, condition, and provenance must all be confirmed before selecting comparables from the 1,690 priced records.

### Valuation factors

- Originality: period-production pieces from the 1920s–1930s (Le Corbusier studio), 1940s–1950s (Japan period), or 1960s–1980s (Les Arcs commissions) command significant premiums over authorized re-editions and modern reproductions by Cassina or other licensees
- Attribution scope: works attributed solely to Perriand versus collaboratively to Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Perriand have distinct market profiles; joint attribution to the trio is common for tubular-steel seating but affects comparable selection
- Model rarity: iconic models such as the LC4 chaise longue (B306), "Tokyo" bench, "Brésil" bookcase, and "Berger" stool appear frequently with established price bands; unique commissions or one-off prototypes are far rarer and trade at premiums
- Material: tubular-steel pieces from the 1920s–1930s, carved-wood and bamboo works from the Japan period, and ash or pine pieces from the Les Arcs and Méribel commissions each carry distinct collector demand and price tiers
- Provenance and exhibition history: documented provenance linking a piece to a known interior, commission, or exhibition (e.g., Les Arcs residences, Méribel chalet) adds measurable value
- Condition and authenticity marks: presence of original maker's marks, serial numbers, or designer signatures (e.g., 'ChPerriand') supports attribution and value; restoration history and structural condition are critical for furniture
- Edition details: for re-editions, the manufacturer (Cassina, etc.), production date, and edition size or serial number differentiate investment-grade period originals from decorative-grade later productions

### Collector notes

- Perriand's market is one of the most liquid in twentieth-century design, with over 230 lots appearing at auction annually and ten or more houses regularly offering her work. Buyers should verify period-originality before purchase — Cassina re-editions are clearly marked with serial numbers and maker's marks but trade at a fraction of period-piece values. The "Berger" stool, "Sandoz" tabouret, and "CP1" wall light are relatively accessible entry points (typically €1,500–€5,800), while the "Tokyo" bench, free-form tables, and "Brésil" bookcase sit in the €16,000–€42,000+ band. Sellers with documented provenance — especially pieces traceable to the Les Arcs development, the Méribel chalet, or Perriand's Japan travels — should highlight that history, as it materially supports estimates. The 22% year-over-year increase in lot volume (192 → 235) suggests expanding collector interest, but also means more re-editions and lesser pieces are entering the market, making selective appraisal increasingly important.

### Market caveats

- Authorized re-editions and reproductions of Perriand designs are widely manufactured, most notably by Cassina; establishing whether a piece is an original period example is essential for accurate appraisal and significantly affects value.
- Collaborative works attributed jointly to Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Perriand may carry different market dynamics than pieces solely attributed to Perriand; appraisals must match attribution scope when selecting comparables.
- The recorded price range ($30 to $1,016,000) is extremely wide; a single realized-price figure is not meaningful without model identification, material, condition, and provenance context.
- Price figures in recent lots are reported in mixed currencies (USD and EUR); currency conversion should be applied when comparing across auction houses or regions.
- Some recent lots lack published price-realised data (listed as null), which may indicate unsold lots, post-sale private negotiations, or reporting delays; these lots should not be treated as comparable sales.
- The Appraisily auction-record index aggregates historical lots from public auction feeds; individual lot accuracy depends on the upstream source and should be verified against the auction-house catalog when used for formal appraisal.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/charlotte-perriand/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / Bonhams: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-six-indochine-swivel-chairsdesigned-1943-produced-after-2014for-cassina-ebonized-ash-leather-each-with-cassina-maker-s-mark-serial-number-and-chperriand-signature-on-undersideheight-28-1-4in-71-7cm-width-2-107-c-ea3be9d6e6
- Invaluable / ARTESIA: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-modele-bresil-223-c-c79692d10c
- Invaluable / Gros-Delettrez: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-table-basse-epais-plateau-en-frene-de-forme-libre-reposant-sur-trois-pieds-compas-en-metal-laque-noir-122-c-7cd47835f9
- Invaluable / Gros-Delettrez: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-banquette-en-frene-modele-tokyo-assise-constituee-de-lattes-reposant-sur-trois-pieds-profiles-aile-d-avion-123-c-bd62ff08bd
- Invaluable / Wright: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-pierre-jeanneret-and-le-corbusier-lc4-chaise-lounge-model-b306-196-c-8a9ac1f4e3
- Invaluable / ARTESIA: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-variante-du-modele-meribel-224-c-621bc6bb72
- Invaluable / Gros-Delettrez: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-tabouret-tripode-berger-en-frene-120-c-f57402700b
- Invaluable / ARTESIA: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-modele-sandoz-concu-initialement-en-1955-pour-le-chalet-personnel-de-charlotte-perriand-a-meribel-226-c-877ec04e60
- Invaluable / ARTESIA: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-modele-cp1-225-c-aca6ebaa8b
- Invaluable / ARTESIA: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charlotte-perriand-1903-1999-le-modele-cree-pour-l-amenagement-de-la-residence-la-nova-a-la-station-de-sports-d-hiver-les-arcs-1800-en-savoie-entre-1976-et-1981-231-c-2713b9fd1c

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine independent artist identity research with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Charlotte Perriand, identity data is drawn from the Library of Congress, VIAF, RKD, MoMA, and Tate sources cited on this page.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85222039
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/251430
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/14781759/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q446451
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/4564
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/charlotte-perriand-16443
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Perriand
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500015059