By Tyler R. Morrissey
Sotheby’s auction house is well-known around the world for its many unique auctions. Here are a few highlights of what’s recently sold, as well as a preview of what’s about to hit the auction block.
History was made this year at Sotheby’s first wine sale of 2018. A rare bottle of Japanese single malt whisky sold for more than $390,000, smashing the old world record of $75,000. Yamazaki whisky is aged for 50 years and this particular lot was snapped up by a private buyer for more than twice its pre-sale estimate. Adam Bilbey, Head of Sotheby’s Wine Asia told Prestige magazine that this record sale is proof that the whisky market is in full swing.
A large fragment of the Union Jack flag that is believed to have been flown at the Battle of Trafalgar recently sold at Sotheby’s auction in London for over $410,000. The flag was flown off of Lord Horatio Nelson’s ship during the 1805 battle that saw the British defeat a superior French and Spanish fleet during the famed Napoleonic Wars. Pieces of the flag were torn off by Nelson’s sailors as a keepsake after the banner was used during the admiral’s ceremonial funeral. In addition to the flag, other Nelson memorabilia also went up for sale, including weapons and his personal letters.
A BMW that once belonged to the Swedish pop band Abba sold at auction last month in Paris for over $42,000. The BMW 633 followed the band on European tours in the 1970s and was used as a standby vehicle for band members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. The car came with copies of the original documents signed by Ulvaeus and Andersson to prove the car was owned by the group that gave the world hits like “Mama Mia” and “Dancing Queen.”
Next on the block
A Pablo Picasso painting is making a world tour before going under the hammer on February 28th. The painting – Femme au beret et a la robe quadrillee (Marie-Therese Walter) – is a colorful and angular depiction of Picasso’s French lover with a dark silhouette looming behind her face. According to Channel News Asia, the painting is expected to fetch $50 million at auction when it’s sold as part of Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art evening sale in London. After making stops in Hong Kong, the artwork will make stops in Taipei and New York before reaching its final destination later this month.
They say that diamonds are forever and this auction will be one that’s remembered and talked about for a long time. A flawless 102-carat, white diamond will hit the auction block in London later this month. The rare gemstone is about the size of a large strawberry and will be sold in private sale. This stone is about 61 carats less than the 163-carat oval diamond sold by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in 2013, which currently holds the record price per carat. Patti Wong, chairman of Sotheby’s Diamonds, told Reuters that because this diamond is a round brilliant cut, it’s expected to sell for a considerably higher price than the $33.7 million auction record for a white diamond.
