PHILIPPE STARCK (1949), designer, & ALEPH, publisher. Suite of six chairs, Costes model, designed in 1984, shell in curved plywood, black lacquered finish, seat upholstered with foam cushion and covered in black leather, tripod structure in lacquered tubular steel. Edition: Subdivision Aleph for Driade, circa 1984. Some traces of use and marks. Bibliography: "1000 Chairs", Charlotte and Peter Fiell, Editions Taschen, 2005, similar model reproduced in color on page 508. 80 x 48 x 53 cm.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.