In recent years, Mollino’s designs have created a stir among collectors. Most in demand are the

“Gaudí chair,” maple, 1949.

custom furnishings that Mollino created for private interiors from the late 1940s to the early 1950s, which are considered outstanding examples of his expressive use of materials. “But because these designs were made as unique or limited-edition pieces, they are extremely rare,” says Simon Andrews, director of 20th-century decorative arts at Christie’s South Kensington. “Most are in museums and private collections. And when they do come up, collectors will pay a premium.”

Though Mollino’s most significant designs sell in the six figures, you can still buy his original furnishings—typically the less complex, larger-edition pieces created for public commissions—for less than $50,000, according to Richard Wright of Chicago’s wright auction house. In December 2005, wright sold a set of eight enameled metal, Italian walnut and vinyl dining chairs from Turin’s Lutrario Ballroom for $30,000. A velvet upholstered sycamore chair, circa 1952, sold for $38,400 at Christie’s in December 2006. Mollino’s creations, however, often spark competitive bidding that drives prices way over estimates. For example, a circa-1950 maple-and-glass coffee table, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, brought $156,000 at wright in May 2006. Other auction highlights have included a dining suite from the Pavia Restaurant in Cervinia, circa 1954, that fetched $198,000 at Phillips de Pury & Company in December 2005, and a brass and resin-flex upholstered chair, 1950, that sold for $102,000 at Christie’s in May 2005.

A few of Mollino’s famous designs, including the $3.8 million trestle table, have been reissued by the Italian company Zanotta for several thousand dollars and are available at design retailers nationwide, including DDC Domus Design Collection in New York, Miami’s Luminaire and Modern Living in Los Angeles.

Not surprisingly, the record price achieved two years ago for the trestle table has contributed to a renewed interest in this esoteric designer. Dealers say his prices have more than doubled since then. “There always will be a great demand for Mollino’s designs,” says New York dealer Cristina Grajales, who purchased the table on behalf of New York collector Thomas Kaplan. “The breathtaking beauty and technical intricacy of his work are incomparable. He was a complete visionary, and his designs are as fresh and original today as they were in his time. Just looking at them gives me goose bumps.”

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Art & Antiques New York correspondent Dana Micucci is the author of several books on art, antiques and collecting, including Best Bids: The Insider’s Guide to Buying at Auction, Collector’s Journal and Artists in Residence: A Guide to the Homes and Studios of Eight 19th-Century Painters In and Around Paris.