Monday, May 25, 2009

Sotheby's Chaim Gross Auction Results


On May 15, Sotheby's held an auction of art from the collectors Chaim and Renee Gross to fund the support of their foundation. We wrote a post on the auction that you can check out here.

Even in dire financial times, auctions with fine, museum-quality pieces continue to do well, proving that there are still collectors out there who are willing to invest in the best pieces. This auction with 81 lots, sold over $4.8 million dollars and exceeded the total sale estimates of $4.4 million. Interestingly, five of the top 10 buyers in this part of the sale came from different fields, such as antiquities or modern and contemporary art.


The highlight of the auction was Lot 67, a Ngbaka Male Ancestor Figure from the Ubangi region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the Crowninshield collection, estimated at $400,000 to $600,000. This fine piece far exceeded its estimate and fetched over $1.2 million.



Lot 25, a Senufo Kneeling Female Figure from the Ivory Coast purchased in the 1950s from Merton D. Simpson, estimated between $250,000 to $350,000, also did extraordinarily well fetching over $750,000.

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