At Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction last night, Frank Lloyd Wright's double-pedestal lamp broke a record when it sold for million after an 11-minute battle between bidders. The iridescent lamp, in shades of gold, green, blue, and purple, is now the most valuable Wright work ever sold at auction, more than doubling his previous record. The price is four times what the lamp sold for when it was last on the block in 2002. Courtesy Sotheby'sFormally titled "An Important Double-Pedestal Lamp for the Susan Lawrence Dana House, Springfield, Illinois," the piece was initially commissioned for one of Wright's early residential homes. There are just two versions of this lamp in existence: the one that sold last night and one that Illinois Governor Jim Thompson and the Dana-Thomas House Foundation acquired in 1988 for the permanent collection of the Dana-Thomas House, which is now a museum.Courtesy Sotheby'sThe lamp is made from iridized and opalescent glass and bronze in a brass-plated “colonial” zinc frame. Wright designed the work in 1903 and it was executed by the Linden Glass Company in Chicago the next year. The lamp's gold, amber, and green shade features geometric patterns and the "sumac motif," a prairie plant Wright used as design inspiration throughout the Dana-Thomas House. Parts of the lamp gently move: the two vertical blue-green glass panels on each side have hinges. Sotheby's notes that these panels may reference Japanese “shoji” screens—believed to repel evil spirits—which Wright admired during visits to Japan.Courtesy Sotheby's Overall, this sale is a boon to the architect's already storied legacy. Jodi Pollack, Sotheby’s chairman and co-worldwide head of 20th century design notes that the sale, "celebrates not only a remarkable piece of American design but a landmark moment in the legacy of one of the most visionary architects in history."She continued: "A true testament to his genius, the lamp stands as a beacon of the American pursuit of design, innovation and progress that reflects Wright’s lasting influence on American architecture and culture." Annie GoldsmithSenior EditorAnnie Goldsmith is the senior editor and digital lead at ELLE Decor, where she covers design, culture, style, and trends. She previously held positions at The Information, covering technology and culture, and Town & Country, writing about news, entertainment, and fashion. Her work has also appeared in Vogue, Rolling Stone, and the SF Standard.  #frank #lloyd #wright039s #doublepedestal #lamp