Launching the New York season, Phillips de Pury's sale yesterday of 20-21st Century Design made for a provocative afternoon a mix of everything that makes this market interesting, and unpredictable. Hammer prices hit both record highs and unexpected lows, bidding ranged from temperate to heated, and every category had its surprises, proving, as always, that it's impossible to know in advance what bidders will feel on any given day, about any given object.

Two of the three top lots were classic modern French designs, while the third was strikingly contemporary. An elegant 1938 custom leather-covered chest by Paul Dupre-Lafon sold for $240,000, in the mid-range of its estimated $200-300,000, though a one-of-a-kind 1953 bookcase-room divider by Charlotte Perriand went up to $180,000, well above its estimate of $50-70,000. The third offering, a pair of steel chairs by Scott Burton, made in 1999-90, brought a record for the artist at auction - $198,000 (est. 120-150,000).

The most enthusiastic bidding of the afternoon was for objects at opposite ends of the design spectrum. Early in the sale, bidders competed for classic chairs by Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe and hardware by Walter Gropius, all of which sold well over estimates, while a never-before-seen mirrored-glass ball from a historic Bauhaus celebration in Dessau, the 1929 Metallische Fest, or Metal Party, soared to $15,000 over its presale estimate of $1,500 to 2500. And as the second session drew to a close, cutting-edge 21st century works were equally sought after: a Campana Brothers colorful 2003 "Sushi" sofa brought a record $84,000 (est. $25-30,000), and a quirky but elegant 2003 chandelier, made of 50,000 paper clips, by London's Jam design group, was quickly bid to $48,000, well over its $7-9,000 estimate.

An important offering of seven works by Alexandre Noll from the Wolfgang Joop Collection did well, with sculpture drawing higher prices than furniture; one wood sculpture sold for $57,600 (est. $20-30,000) and another for $74,400 (est $25-30,000). And furniture by Jean Prouve, another Frenchman whose stock is currently high, sold at good, though not exceptional, prices. High-concept design objects by Maria Pergay, Desny, and Line Vautrin objects all did well.

Surprisingly, three of the expected star lots in the sale were passed: a unique 1937 L-shape walnut and wrought iron desk by Pierre Chareau (est: $300-400,000), and a c.1950 freeform mahogany table by Charlotte Perriand (est 200-250,000), both failed to attract sufficient buyer interest, and Gaetano Pesce's superscale "Moloch" lamp from an important 1971 exhibition of Italian design, also failed to make its $100-150,000 estimate. In contrast, two telephone bidders fought stubbornly over one of Werner Panton's laminated wood "S" chairs, c. 1956, pushing the price to a head-turning $63,400 over an estimate of $6-8,000.

Total sales were $3,508,080, below the low presale estimate of $4,274,800, with percentage sold 67% by value, 64.25% by lot. With unsold lots of equal quality to those that did well, the relatively high buy-in rate may reflect the too-high expectations of consignors in a market that's been consistently rising.