Nord on art followed "the endurance test that was Sotheby’s auction of
Pre-Columbian artifacts from the Barbier-Mueller collection". The results must have been disappointing for the seller hoping to make a huge profit on his purchases of dugup antiquities from a continent away:
Perhaps potential buyers saw through Sotheby’s attempts to gloss over provenance issues with phrases like “this magnificent, century-old
collection” and the “Collection has been widely exhibited and
published.” Sotheby’s can claim a small victory for having sold the two
highest estimated lots. However, in the end 165 of 313 lots failed and
the sale will likely be judged a mess.
Vignette:
Jus' saying...
Nord on art followed "the endurance test that was Sotheby’s auction of
Pre-Columbian artifacts from the Barbier-Mueller collection". The results must have been disappointing for the seller hoping to make a huge profit on his purchases of dugup antiquities from a continent away:
4 comments:
"antiquities with dubious provenance dont sell" and antiquities with a great provenance sell very well as the recent sale of antiquities from the higgins armoury museum showed.sold by thomas del-mar at 25 blythe road some pieces selling for 20-30 times the estimates.i was bidding on this one,
http://www.thomasdelmar.com/Catalogues/as200313/lot0110.html
estimate 1-2k sold for 38k [my bid was blown out of the water]thats what a good solid provenance does.
kyri.
Interesting. If you'd won, would you have had the holes in the crown infilled? Not sure I like the cracks of the cheekpieces.
hi paul,the condition of all the helmets was very bad.when i examined lot 112 i was scared the cheekpieces were going to fall off.i must admit,i would have had it restored.personally i think the provenance is what drove the prices sky high.
kyri.
hi paul,the condition of all the helmets was very bad.when i examined lot 112 i was scared the cheekpieces were going to fall off.i must admit,i would have had it restored.personally i think the provenance is what drove the prices sky high.
kyri.
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