If you belong to the club of people who do not look for meaning in art, just beauty, Jeff Koons and Bernardaud have just the thing for you. The living legend of the art world, who gave us Balloon Dog, Rabbit, and Puppy, is now helping you stand out at soirées with a lobster. Lobster by Jeff Koons, a porcelain edition, is the stuff a haute host is made of. Limited to only 99 pieces, the American artist joins hands with the revered French manufacturer to breathe life into the crustacean, a nod to his lobster-shaped inflatables. For anyone thinking this has been done before, the motif already appeared in his celebrated Popeye series.
The contemporary artist, who worked briefly on Wall Street selling mutual funds, was left gobsmacked at an exhibition at Versailles in 2008. It was not just the decorative and pictorial splendors of the château that stayed with him, but also the richness of its tableware. He also learned that the kings of France loved having magnificent centerpieces on their tables. That was all the spark this creative genius needed, and the result is a $95,000 vibrant crustacean that transforms his famous Lobster into an unprecedented table centerpiece that perfectly blends art and functionality.
According to Sotheby’s, the sculpture comprises 18 detachable parts, including 13 hidden compartments within its claws, tail, and underside. Lobster was developed over nearly eight years in close collaboration between Bernardaud and Jeff Koons. Each piece reflects Bernardaud’s 160-year legacy of Limoges porcelain craftsmanship, where time-honored techniques meet contemporary art. Compared to Koons’s eight-figure sculptures, this is a “relatively” modest way to own a conversation-starting Koons centerpiece that guests can actually gather around at dinner. The piece measures 26 × 59 × 85 cm and, according to Bernardaud, should find its place in a tasteful home rather than pure museum storage.
Still, one cannot help but see it as a piece of art and not just a food-serving platter. After all, the masterpiece, aside from its price tag, is the result of painstaking modeling, molding, casting, and glazing in successive firings, with exacting protocols and joint checks. The curves and antennae of the lobster require special kiln adjustments and repeated firings to maintain its pop allure in the hard porcelain medium. And if you still have the heart to use this as dinnerware, Bernardaud has shared care instructions clarifying it is, in fact, dishwasher and oven-safe, making it a truly functional piece and not just a museum showpiece.
