Purple reign. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ most famous “election night look” is about to go under the hammer — and no, it’s not a ballgown. It’s the violet-colored maternity coat she wore while eight months pregnant, as her husband was announced as the next American president on Nov. 8, 1960. The purple wool coat that crowned … Read more
He’s got the Midas flush. Art world troll Maurizio Cattelan took the world by storm after his notorious duct-taped banana sold for over $6 million at Sotheby’s last fall. This year, the Italian prankster will likely turn “crap” into gold when his notorious 18-karat, solid gold toilet goes under the hammer next month. Carved out … Read more
Who spends $10.1 million on an old handbag? Japanese resale mogul Shinsuke Sakimoto, that’s who. The now-revealed mystery buyer placed his winning bid from halfway around the world on the original Hermès Birkin last month — making the coveted fashion artifact the priciest purse in history. And yes, he’s still recovering from the experience. Who blew … Read more
It’s bananas! A popular and pricey piece of art has been eaten — yet again. The artwork titled “Comedian” has been eaten for the fourth time. AFP via Getty Images Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” — which features a real banana duct taped to a wall — has been replicated by the artist several times, most recently … Read more
It’s not just any Birkin bag — it’s the Birkin bag. The original Hermès model made for actress, singer and fashion icon Jane Birkin in 1984 is up for auction today — and it’s expected to make history. Sotheby’s will auction off the item in Paris, where it’s expected to fetch a record-breaking price. The … Read more
Sotheby’s high-stakes auction turned into a jaw-dropping spectacle Tuesday night when a $70 million Alberto Giacometti bronze bust failed to sell, leaving bidders and art insiders gobsmacked. The pièce de résistance of the evening, Giacometti’s “Grand tête mince (Grand tête de Diego)” carried a sky-high estimate that proved too lofty for the cash-strapped crowd. Despite … Read more
A rare blue diamond was on display Tuesday at an exhibition of $100 million worth of the world’s rarest diamonds in the United Arab Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi. The eight diamonds on display at the Sotheby’s exhibition have a total weight of over 700 carats. The 10-karat blue diamond from South Africa,considered one of the … Read more
This isn’t low-hanging fruit. Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” has fetched a phenomenal $6.2 million at auction at Sotheby’s in New York City. Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun snapped up the controversial work, which consists of a real banana duct-taped to a wall, on Wednesday evening at an event where pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and Jeff Koons also … Read more
NEW YORK — Walk into any supermarket and you can generally buy a banana for less than $1. But a banana duct-taped to a wall? That might sell for more than $1 million at an upcoming auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The yellow banana fixed to the white wall with silver duct tape is … Read more
Sold! The first art piece painted by humanoid robot — which was expected to fetch up to $180,000 — shocked the crowd when it sold for a whopping $1.08 million. Sotheby’s, the famed auction house, sold the painting in New York on Thursday after 27 bids were placed on the work. First art piece painted … Read more
The art world’s gone bananas. Five years after its creation, Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” — consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall — could fetch an eye-popping $1.5 million when it is auctioned off by Sotheby’s in New York City next month. However, what you actually get for the staggering sum is not the original … Read more
Sly might be late on set. Sylvester Stallone is auctioning off part of his staggering $7.5 million watch collection at Sotheby’s starting on June 5. The highlight of the lot is the “Rocky” star’s Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime — considered the “holy grail” of the watch community — which could fetch between $2.5 and $5 … Read more
Hermès’ highly coveted Birkin handbag becomes even more coveted after it leaves the store — doubling in value in as little as five years, according to a luxury expert. James Firestein, founder of luxury resale and authentication platform OpenLuxury, told Fortune that the steepest price increase he has ever witnessed when a Black Togo 30 … Read more
“Sex And the City” fans will surely flock to see Carrie Bradshaw’s taxidermied bird hat as the infamous prop will soon go under the hammer at Sotheby’s. Sarah Jessica Parker, 58, sported the eccentric accessory twice for the “SATC” franchise: once in the 2008 film when Mr. Big left Carrie at their wedding altar, and … Read more
A late-life masterpiece by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt sold Tuesday for $108.4 million, making it the most expensive artwork ever auctioned in Europe. “Dame mit Fächer” — Lady with a Fan — sold to a buyer in the room at Sotheby’s in London after a 10-minute bidding war for a hammer price of 74 million … Read more
Have you herd? The late Princess Diana’s famous sheep sweater is going up for auction at Sotheby’s this summer as a part of their inaugural Fashion Icons sale in New York, after it was discovered in the designer’s attic more than 40 years later. The sweater, a bright, cherry-red knit adorned with white sheep and … Read more
The oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible, described as “one of the most important and singular texts in human history,” has become the most valuable manuscript ever to be sold at an auction. The Codex Sassoon is more than 1,000 years old, dating from the late 9th or early 10th century, and sold for $38.1 … Read more
The art world is up in arms, from collectors to curators – donors to docents. They are all furious about a host of major museums selling works by some of America’s best-loved artists. And one of the most contentious of these sell-offs is happening this week at the venerable Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan. … Read more
They say diamonds are forever, but this one is literally “eternal.” Sotheby’s is auctioning off an extremely coveted, colorful gem that’s been billed as “The Eternal Pink” as it is one of the most stunning diamonds in the world. “At 10.57 carats, the cushion-cut Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink Diamond is the most vivid … Read more
One of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts, a nearly complete 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible, could soon be yours — for a cool $30 million. The Codex Sassoon, a leather-bound, handwritten parchment tome containing almost the entirety of the Hebrew Bible, is set to go on the block at Sotheby’s in New York in May. Its anticipated … Read more