The Glenturret, Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery, has achieved a new auction record of an astonishing $200,000 for the artists’ proof decanter of “Eight Decades” – created by renowned artist James Turrell, in collaboration with Lalique.
James Turrell, celebrated for his mastery of light and space, marked his 80th birthday this year. To honor this milestone and pay homage to generations of craftspeople, Turrell joined forces with The Glenturret and Lalique to create the Eight Decades whisky decanter, limited to a mere 80 pieces worldwide.
The unique design of the decanter, featuring a pared-down silhouette crowned by a pyramidal deep blue crystal stopper inspired by Ancient Egypt, resonated with whisky collectors and art enthusiasts alike during the auction. The lot included proof decanter #008, filled with a specially crafted whisky by The Glenturret’s Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno, along with three hand-signed sketches by James Turrell from the decanter’s design phase. The winning bidder will also enjoy an exclusive visit to Lalique’s factory in Alsace and The Glenturret’s distillery in Crieff, culminating in a dining experience at the Michelin-starred The Glenturret Lalique restaurant.
Following the successful auction, John Laurie, Managing Director at The Glenturret, expressed his excitement, stating, “What a way to end the year! When we first launched Eight Decades in May, we knew it was a very special decanter – working with James Turrell was truly an honor. We feel the decanter blurs the lines between art and whisky, and the auction result is testament to that. We’re particularly happy with the result as all proceeds are going to charity.”
A limited number of the original Eight Decades Decanter is available via The Glenturret website.