NEW YORK, NY.- Rago/Wright will present Object of Identity: Sold to Benefit LongHouse Reserve, the Historic East Hampton Home of Jack Lenor Larsen, a July 28th auction celebrating the extraordinary life, vision, and collecting practice of internationally renowned textile designer, artist, and author Jack Lenor Larsen (1927–2020). Proceeds from the sale will directly benefit LongHouse Reserve, the East Hampton institution Larsen founded as a living embodiment of his belief that art, craft, design, architecture, and nature should exist in continuous dialogue.

Reflecting Larsen's lifelong devotion to material, maker, and the beauty of the handmade, this landmark auction features selections from his private collection assembled over decades through close relationships with artists and artisans around the world. Anchored by several masterworks, the auction’s leading lots include Olga de Amaral’s stunning fiber sculpture Tierra y oro 5 (est. $300,000–500,000), Judy Kensley McKie’s 1994 cast bronze Lion bench (est. $200,000–300,000), an untitled Dango from Jun Kaneko (est. $90,000–120,000), and Toshiko Takaezu’s 1980 sculpture, Murphy (est. $50,000–70,000). Further lots of note include works from foundational artists in the disciplines of ceramics, glass, woodworking, and fiber arts, including Peter Voulkos, Magdalene Odundo, Ruth Duckworth, Lucie Rie, Dale Chihuly, Bob Stocksdale, Philip Moulthrop, Sheila Hicks, and Ed Rossbach, among many others.

“The works offered here have been selected with great care from Jack Lenor Larsen’s collection,” LongHouse Reserve notes, “guided by a commitment to preserve the character, integrity, and meaning of LongHouse as a whole. Larsen himself was an active and evolving collector, continually refining the relationship between objects, architecture, and landscape. Thoughtful stewardship sometimes requires the same discipline of editing and renewal that characterized his own creative life.”





Object of Identity comes at a pivotal moment for ensuring the future of LongHouse as a cultural resource of national importance. Invited to join the National Register of Historic Places, LongHouse is poised to expand its offerings, not only through preservation in perpetuity but also in fulfilling Larsen’s intention of welcoming visitors into his home to view his extensive collections. The auction will be the subject of a special exhibition in New York from July 14th to 21st, accompanied by a fully illustrated limited-edition catalogue featuring an essay by curator and design historian Glenn Adamson.

“We are so proud to be a part of LongHouse and its legacy,” says David Rago, Partner at Rago/Wright. “Jack Lenor Larsen approached design as something sublimely integrated into our everyday lives, and he had an extraordinary eye—helping to further his expansive vision of cultivating beauty is such an honor.”

Selections from Object of Identity Sold to Benefit LongHouse Reserve, The Historic East Hampton Home of Jack Lenor Larsen will be exhibited in New York City from July 14th to 21st in the Rago/Wright gallery at 501 West 20th Street, with a preview reception on Wednesday, July 15th from 5 to 7 pm. Object of Identity Sold to Benefit LongHouse Reserve, The Historic East Hampton Home of Jack Lenor Larsen is a live auction in Lambertville, New Jersey, beginning at 11 am eastern on Tuesday, July 28th. The auction accommodates advanced bids, telephone bidding, and in-person and live-online bidding.

Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020) was an internationally known textile designer, author, and collector, and one of the world's foremost advocates of traditional and contemporary crafts. His awards are many and his designs are in the collections of international museums, including the Museum of Modert Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Louvre. Larsen founded the firm that still bears his name in 1952. Over the next seven decades, Larsen—the company—grew steadily to become a dominant resource for signature fabrics. The “Larsen Look,” which began with Larsen's own award-winning hand-woven fabrics of natural yarns in random repeats, evolved to become synonymous with 20th century design at its pinnacle. Known as an innovator, Larsen won many awards and was one of only four Americans ever to be honored with an exhibition in the Palais du Louvre. More than a weaver, Larsen was a scholar, world traveler, and authority on traditional and contemporary crafts. His home, LongHouse, was built as a case study to exemplify a creative approach to contemporary life.