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Art

'Iris' and 'Weeping Willow': Unseen Monet paintings set for Paris sale

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Solid gold toilet sells for $12 million at auction

Maurizio Cattelan’s fully functional gold toilet titled “America” sold for $12.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.

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Rare ‘Mellon Blue’ diamond expected to fetch up to $30 million at auction

Geneva’s November auctions will showcase the 9.51-carat “Mellon Blue” diamond, a Fancy Vivid Blue gem valued at up to $30 million, alongside the Glowing Rose pink diamond and historic jewels once owned by Napoleon.

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The golden toilet returns to auction with $10 million estimate

Maurizio Cattelan’s 18-karat gold toilet, titled America, goes on auction at Sotheby’s New York this November with a starting bid of around $10 million — equal to the value of its gold.

Culture news

Niger probes Martian meteorite sale as questions swirl over origins

A 25-kilo rock from Mars sold for over $5 million (€4.3 million) at Sotheby’s in New York last month. But Niger, where the meteorite was found, has launched an investigation into whether it was illegally smuggled out of the country.

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Culture news

Largest Martian meteorite fetches more than €4.3 million at auction

This was the first time such an historical and rare piece was auctioned off. But as popular as the Mars meterorite was, a young dinosaur skeleton triggered a bidding frenzy...

Culture news

The biggest piece of Mars on Earth is being auctioned off in New York

This is the first time such an historical and rare piece is auctioned off. Sotheby’s says the eventual buyer of the items is guaranteed to own a piece of history.

Lifestyle

Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag sells for €8 million at auction

Born out of a chance encounter, Jane Birkin's original Hermès bag has surpassed all expectations and sold for €8.6 million in Paris to become the second most valuable fashion item ever bought at an auction.

Culture news

Auction of historical Buddha gems postponed after India backlash

Sotheby’s in Hong Kong postponed an auction of gems with ties to early Buddhism after backlash from India’s government, which said the jewels were the country's religious and cultural heritage.

Design

Multi-million Frank Lloyd Wright lamp to be auctioned

The lamp could be the most expensive ever sold from the legendary designer.

Art

Lichtenstein pop art masterpieces head to auction for the first time

Forty works spanning four decades of Roy Lichtenstein’s career will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in New York next month, expected to fetch over $35 million (€30.8 million).

Art

Blink-182 frontman sells Banksy at auction for €5.2 million

After the death of Jack Vettriano, the painter who inspired the original, Blink-182 frontman Mark Hoppus has sold his Banksy painting for £4.3 million (€5.2 million) at a London auction.

Culture news

Oldest-known Ten Commandments tablet fetches €4.8 million at auction

The world’s oldest-known Ten Commandments tablet sold on Wednesday (18 December) for $5 million (€4.8 million) at Sotheby’s, far surpassing expectations. The marble slab, previously used as a paving stone, will be donated to an Israeli institution.

Art

Famous duct-taped banana sells for €5.8 million at art auction

Sotheby’s had estimated its value between $1 million and $1.5 million (€924,000 and €1.4 million). It sold for $6.2 million (€5.8 million) in NYC.

Art

A portrait of Alan Turing created by a robot has sold for €1 million

The sale marks the first time an artwork by a humanoid robot has ever been sold at auction and has been described as a “new frontier in the global art market.”

Art

Going bananas: Viral fruit artwork to auction for staggering amount

The world’s going bananas – and now an infamous artwork heading to auction will a-peel to wallets...

Culture news

18th century diamond necklace with royal connections to go on sale

The historic piece, which was owned by the highest ranking of aristocracy and worn during at least two royal coronations, is part of auction chain Sotheby's 'Royal and Noble' sale in Geneva this November.