The Fetish Sculpture That Set Allen Jones' Auction Record

Allen Jones's Hatstand Table and Chair (1969) sold for $3.37m (£2.17m) at Christie's in London on February 13, 2013. The sculpture in three parts, made of fibreglass resin with tailor-made accessories, had been traded three times before. The work is from an edition of six plus one artist's proof.

When Allen Jones made his trio of erotic furniture sculptures in 1969, with the help of a mannequin maker, the British Pop artist was playing with the idea that "sex sells" in advertising. Visiting the US as a young artist he had been bowled over by the racy imagery he had seen in American magazines, combining them with his interest in Surrealism, fetish wear and more innocent memories of childhood trips to Madame Tussauds.

Jones provided a list of droll advice to collectors of each of the sculptures, which resemble shop mannequins gone wild. For example, about the table he wrote: "The sculpture is built to withstand the inevitable urge to use her as a table, but do not abuse this privilege with the use of very heavy objects."

The artist's fetish furniture sculpture helped make Jones' name as a young artist but it has controversial ever since it was first unveiled, with some feminists condemning the work as misogynistic. Disappointed at how they have been misunderstood, Jones recently confessed to the Guardian: “I think it hampered my career."

The sale beat Jones' previous auction record by $1.84m, a 100% rise. His previous record was set by Table (1969), which sold for $1.53m at Sotheby's on May 22, 2012.

A Brief History of Allen Jones at Auction