Auction News Network

Liz Taylor Frenzy Continues

An inscribed Andy Warhol lithograph of Elizabeth Taylor soared to $662,500, leaving its $30,000-$50,000 estimate far behind, as the bidding frenzy continued at Christie’s in New York. Yesterday’s sales focused on a second offering of jewelry, which added $21.3m to the $115.9m achieved at the preceding night’s auction of jewels, and on haute couture, which achieved a total of $2.6m. The top selling gown was a Christian Dior evening dress of silver encrusted brocade, which sold for $362,500.

First Apple Contract Bytes $1.6m

How much are a few pieces of paper setting up a tiny computer company worth? Sotheby’s thought the contracts signed by Steve Jobs and two partners might fetch $150,000.  That’s before last night when media mogul Eduardo Cisneros beat back 5 other bidders and spent $1.6m to own the documents establishing the first Apple partnership in 1976.  Jobs and Steve Wozniak may have signed the deal in the garage they were working out of at the time.

Taylor’s Jewelry Rockets Past Estimates

Last night at Christie’s it didn’t take long for the sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry to blast through its $30m estimate. An immense, 50.6ct dog-chewed pearl known as “La Peregrina” that Taylor’s fifth (and sixth) husband Richard Burton gave her fetched $11.8m alone, which was almost four times its high estimate. That formed the pattern for the evening, which brought in a total of $115.9m, the highest total ever for a private jewelry auction.

Records Fall At Acker Merrall Hong Kong Sale

The general news about Acker Merrall & Condit’s recent sale in Hong Kong was certainly upbeat: the company sold 92% of over 800 lots offered for a total of $9.09m. The specific news was even better. A superlot of 55 bottles of DRC Romanee Conti containing every vintage released between 1952 and 2007 sold for an astounding $813,333—or almost $15,000 a bottle. That was the highest price paid for a lot of wine this year, as well as the highest every paid for a lot of Romanee Conti at auction.

Rosebud Found: Welles’ Oscar For Sale

Some claim it’s the greatest movie ever made by one of the greatest actors who ever lived. In 1942 “Citizen Kane” got 9 Academy Award nominations, but won only one, best screenplay for Orson Welles. The actual statue disappeared for decades, but it resurfaced and Nate D. Sanders is selling it through an online auction. Current bid is $72,800.

2-for-1: Double Sided Pechstein Nets $4.6m

Back in 1910, Max Pechstein was thrifty (and impoverished), so he often painted over a work, or painted pictures on both sides. This week one of those double sided paintings sold for $4.6m at the Ketterer Kunst Auction in Hamburg, the highest price paid for any auctioned art work in Germany this year. His wife posed nude for one side of the painting. On the other there is a vase and fruit. Pechstein favored the still life, and that’s the side he signed and dated.

Tribal Rarities At Paris Sale

The Fang are a people living in Equatorial New Guinea, Congo, and Gabon, where the rare 19^th century mask originated that’s featured in Christie’s African & Oceanic Art auction in Paris tomorrow. The Fang used this one in their N’Gil magic ceremony, whose purpose was to rout out sorcerers. Christie’s hopes to conjure $798,804-$1.06m for the wooden mask.

High-End Real Estate Roundup

Three luxurious mountain lodges in Vail’s Beaver Creek and an oceanfront estate in Maui are among the estates heading towards auction in coming weeks. Read more in our high-end real estate roundup.

King’s Ancient Time Piece To Be Sold

A timepiece that once belonged to King Richard II was handed down through a family now living in Australia. They rediscovered it some time ago in a bag of old pipe fittings.  Recently, the family sent it to the British Museum where it was identified as an “equal hour horary quadrant” which tracks time in hourly segments.  The King’s badge is engraved. Bonham’s expects it to bring around  $300,000 at its Dec.13 sale in London.

Cleopatra’s Daughter Goes For $2.5m

Just before Christ, a Roman artist created an “emblema,” a raised wall relief, enshrining Selene, the only daughter Cleopatra had with Marc Antony. Selene is shown wearing an elephant headdress with tusks and ears drooping around her face. Fashioned from a single silver sheet adorned with diamonds, the piece sold for $2.55m at Christie’s Antiquities and Ancient Jewelry auction in New York.

Over $75,000 Expected For Signed Beatles Album

In 1964, while the Beatles were staying at the Plaza Hotel in New York, George Harrison gave a copy of the group’s first album “Meet the Beatles” to the hotel’s house doctor, Jules Gordon. Signed by all four members of the band, it will be offered at Heritage’s Music & Entertainment auction on December 13th, , when it’s expected to sell for more than $75,000.

Velazquez Portrait Brings $4.7m

A portrait by Velazquez, unknown until Bonhams discovered it amidst a consignment of another artist’s works, sold yesterday for $4.7m at the auction house’s Old Master Paintings sale in London. Had it been, as originally thought, the work of 19^th century British painter Matthew Shepperson, it would have carried an estimate of $320-$480. Instead, with its new attribution, it sold for some 10,000 times that amount.

Patek Philippes Lead Christie’s Sale

You’ll find many distinguished brands of watches at Christie’s watch sale on December 16th, but as is the case so often these days, the top ten estimated timepieces are all from one manufacturer: Patek Philippe. Of those, a rare 18k gold perpetual calendar keyless lever chronograph clockwatch with sonneries and moon phases is expected to be the most valuable, with an estimate of $350,000-$550,000.

Dietrich & Warhol’s Rolls-Royces To Sell

Director Josef von Sternberg gave Marlene Dietrich one gift with the role of the temptress Lola Lola in the German/English classic movie, “The Blue Angel” (Der Blaue Engel). Another was a beautiful 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformable Convertible Sedan. Featured in “Morocco,” another von Sternberg/Dietrich collaboration, it will be auctioned next month at Bonhams during the Scottsdale Car Week, when it’s expected to sell for $300,000-$400,000.

Update: the Dietrich Rolls sold for $524,000, well above its high estimate.

A $20m Chinese Jade Bear?

A large Chinese Jade bear that dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (475 B.C.-220 A.D.) may be the most valuable stand for a flagpole or table ever created. Likely buried for centuries, it’s the largest known jade sculpture of its time. At a Florida auction this coming weekend the bear is expected to sell for $10m-$20m.