Featured Bronze statue sells for $273,000 - auction estimate was $1000/1500

The consignor must be jumping for joy.

https://www.kovels.com/news-news-ne...tm_campaign=The+Quarter+Million+Dollar+Bronze

 

I wish I had his phone number.... hers... its... theirs...

 

Skinner's staff must be doing the same. Imagine the multiple of their commission between the 2 figures.

 

Every antiquer's fantasy, am I right?

 

I wonder who actually made the statue and how the buyer knew what it was?

 

And why were there 2 bidders in the room who "knew" it was 17th century as opposed to the lot description. Unsigned does leave room for various opinions, but that seems a bit extreme.

 

wow so cool!!

 

You betcha gila!
'Internet auctions send clear, enlargeable pictures around the world to entice bidders. Usually a foreigner will either come to the auction site, this time Boston, or send an expert to examine the piece. But any interest is kept secret to keep others from taking an extra look.'
I think the above is true. With the internet items are open to the world and I'm sure collectors are looking everywhere for that 'unknown' piece to add to their collection and hoping that nobody else has spotted it.

 

It will probably go up for auction again once it has been authenticated. Like this poor fellow who sold his painting for 42 thousand pounds. The new owner was an art expert and had another expert authenticate as a Caravaggio worth 10 million pounds. The first owner then sued Sotheby's for not doing the proper testing and investigating. I think I read that he lost the case.

Sotheby's must feel almost as bad as the original owner. That was a huge loss of commissions and had to be a bit of hit on their reputation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...r-it-was-later-claimed-as-10m-Caravaggio.html

 

Maybe Skinner has a bruised rep for this one ...?

 

Knowledgeable buyers will love it, sellers, not so much. Skinner's doesn't provide the in depth research that Sotheby's does. . When I was selling something that had a crest, Skinner's told me "we'll probably never know whose crest it is" and gave me a very low value. I found the crest information on my own. I ended up selling it though Christie's with a starting price ten times the valuation I received from Skinners.

 

Good on you!!

 

Way to go mill cove!

 

Hmm.... wish there were a 17th century bronze statue among my mother's things!

There is a lovely small bronze (or more likely, "bronzed") statue/statuette, but I bought it as a present for my parents in the '60s and it was new at the time. Oh, well....

 

My family bronzes are family spelters.(LOL)

 

I dont like many bronze statues, but I do like that one.

 

He did lose it:
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sothebys-wins-case-over-158-million-caravaggio-223012

 

"Following the ruling, a Sotheby's spokesperson expressed the company's delight in the judge's decision, calling it a confirmation "that Sotheby's expertise is of the highest standards."

That sounds like a Donald Trump spin.

 

Can't be all that expert if they let a Caravaggio slip through unnoticed.

 

Wow Just wow. That is amazing.