He was one of the most monstrous tyrants of the 20th Century, but a rare bronze death mask of Stalin fetched only $8,700 when it was auctioned yesterday by Mullock’s Auction House in England. Also included in the deal were casts of Stalin’s hands, one of which he kept out of sight because it was badly withered.After Stalin’s death in 1953, somewhere between 9 and 12 bronzes were struck from a plaster cast and only 2 are believed to be in the West. Death masks of dignitaries are an ancient tradition. “These days,” an auction house spokesman said, “I suppose you’d just upload a picture to Facebook.” The bidder is anonymous.
Stalin Death Mask Goes For $8,700
January 25, 2012
Lincoln Opera Glass Up For Resale
April 24, 2012The opera glasses Lincoln had in his hands the night he was assassinated are coming back to auction at the end of the month after they failed to sell last year when offered with an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. At one time Malcolm Forbes, Sr., owned them. The current owner was not disclosed by auctioneer Nate D. Sanders handling the sale in Los Angeles.
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Marie Antoinette’s Shoes Go For Record Price
March 29, 2012Before they chopped off her head, Marie Antoinette was a clotheshorse. Also loved shoes. A pair of her white silk mules sold at a Toulon auction for $57,000. Might have gone for more, but nobody could truly prove she ever owned or wore the shoes although they are in her size, have tricolor ribbons, and show wear.
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Elizabeth Taylor’s ‘Cleopatra’ Cape At Heritage
March 27, 2012When 20th Century Fox was planning the 1963 production of “Cleopatra,” the studio allotted what was then the staggering sum of $194,800 to Elizabeth Taylor’s wardrobe. An example of where all that money went can be seen in the intricate leather and gold cape that Taylor wore in two scenes of the movie. When it goes on sale at Heritage on May 30th, bidding for the cape will start at $10,000, but the final tally is expected to be many times higher, perhaps even more than Taylor’s entire wardrobe budget for the notorious film.
Update: the cape sold for $59,375.
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Rising Value of Unrestored Cars
By Malcolm Welford, Vintage Car Specialist
