Record-breaking auction sales in 2017
lovemoney staff
17 November 2017
The most spectacular sales of the year
The sale of a lost Leonardo da Vinci painting smashed auction records, but it wasn't the only purchase this year that made headlines around the globe in 2017. From Paul Newman's watch to a piece of very special Star Wars history, we take a look at this year's record-breaking sales.
January: a rare 1963 E-Type Jaguar sells for a record $7.3 million (£5.6m)
Starting the year off right, a super-rare 1963 E-Type Jaguar came up for auction in January at a Bonhams sale in Scottsdale, Arizona and sold for $7.3 million (£5.6m), making it the world's most expensive E-Type, and then some.
January: a Holstein calf sells for a record $193,000 (£147k)
Setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a calf at auction in Australia, a prized Holstein heifer, which was bred by Lighted Genetics, went under the hammer at an auction in Tatura, Victoria in January and realised a hefty $193,000 (£147k).
February: a collection of erotic art sells for a record $7 million (£5.3m)
Sotheby's London held the world's most lucrative auction of erotic art in February, which ended up grossing a record $7 million (£5.3m). Unsurprisingly, the NSFW auction catalogue almost crashed the Sotheby's website after attracting a record-breaking 1 million views. This antique silver bowl is one of the tamer pieces from the sale.
February: René Magritte's 'La Corde Sensible' sells for a record $18.9 million (£14.4m)
Later that month, Christie's in London sold René Magritte's 'La Corde Sensible' (1960) for $18.9 million (£14.5m), a new record for the Surrealist artist. The auction house's Art of the Surreal sale also featured Magritte's Le Domaine d’Arnheim (1938), which fetched $12.5m (£9.5m).
March: Gustav Klimt's 'Bauerngarten (Blumengarten)' sells for a record $63 million (£48m)
On March 1, a 1905 painting of flowers in a garden by Gustav Klimt entitled 'Bauerngarten (Blumengarten)' went for $63 million (£48m) at a Sotheby's auction in London. Surpassing all expectations, the sale smashed the record for any work by the Austrian artist.
March: the D. Brent Pogue coin collection sells for a record $106.7 million (£81.3m)
Obliterating the record for the most valuable collection of American coins ever sold, the D. Brent Pogue collection grossed a not too shabby $106.7 million (£81.3m). The collection, which includes this rare 1804 silver dollar sold for $3 million (£2.3m), was auctioned off at Stack's Bowers Galleries in Santa Ana, California.
March: the console used to record Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon album sells for a record $1.8 million (£1.4m)
The Abbey Road console used to record Pink Floyd's classic The Dark Side of the Moon album in the early 1970s sold for a sensational $1.8 million (£1.4m) at a Bonhams auction in New York in March, breaking several records, including the highest price achieved for a piece of audio tech.
April: the Pink Star Diamond sells for a record $71.2 million (£55m)
One of this year's most standout sales, the breathtaking Pink Star Diamond brought the auction house down in April when it sold for a record $71.2 million (£55m) at Sotheby's Hong Kong. The 59.60-carat rock, which was acquired by jeweller Chow Tai Fook, is the most expensive gem ever sold at auction.
April: an antique Ottoman panel sells for a record $1.4 million (£1.1m)
This exquisite late-16th to early-17th century Ottoman panel in sumptuous silk and metal thread fetched an impressive $1.4 million (£1.1m) at a Sotheby's London auction on April 28. The realised price is a new record for an antique Ottoman textile.
May: Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Untitled' sells for a record $110.5 million (£84.2m)
In May, this untitled 1982 picture of a skull by Neo-Expressionist graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat went under the hammer at Sotheby's New York and was snapped up by Japanese Internet entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa for $110.5 million (£84.2m), making it the most expensive painting by an American artist ever sold at auction, and 2017's priciest lot.
May: a mismatched pair of coloured diamond earrings sells for a record $57.4 million (£43.7m)
The most expensive earrings ever sold at auction, this mismatched pair of fancy coloured diamond earrings dubbed Apollo and Artemis realised an eye-watering $57.4 million (£43.7m) at a Sotheby's Geneva sale in mid-May.
May: Constantin Brancusi's 'La Muse Endormie' sells for a record $57.4 million (£43.7m)
Another record was broken in May, when this bronze sculpture, which was cast in 1913 by Constantin Brancusi, went under the hammer for $57.4 million (£43.7m) at a Christie's auction in London, the highest price ever realised for a work by the artist.
May: a diamond-encrusted crocodile Hermès Birkin bag sells for a record $379,261 (£289k)
The record for the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction was smashed in May at Christie's Hong Kong when this blingy Hermès Birkin Himalaya handbag sold for $379,261 (£289k). Crafted from crocodile skin, the ultra-premium bag is encrusted with 205 diamonds and features 18-carat gold buckles.
June: a pair of Michael Jordan's Converse sneakers sells for a record $190,373 (£145k)
Worn by Michael Jordan at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, this battered pair of sneakers fetched $190,373 (£145k) at an SCP auction in Arizona back in June, a world record for athlete-worn footwear.
June: Kandinsky's 'Painting with White Lines' sells for a record $43 million (£33m)
The record price realised for a Kandinsky artwork at auction was broken twice in one night in June when the Russian artist's 1903 painting 'Landscape with Green House' sold for $27.7 million (£21m) at Sotheby's London, swiftly followed by 'Painting with White Lines' from 1913, which fetched $43 million (£33m).
June: the Rockefeller Emerald sells for a record $5.5 million (£4.2m)
Also in June, the famed 18.04-carat Rockefeller Emerald was auctioned by Christie's New York, realising a record-shattering $5.5 million (£4.2m). This makes the emerald, which was bought by jeweller Harry Winston, the most expensive ever in terms of price per carat.
June: Max Beckmann's 'Bird's Hell' sells for a record $42 million (£32m)
Yet another artist record was broken in June, Max Beckmann's powerful 1938 painting 'Bird's Hell', which depicts the horrors of pre-World War II Germany, sold for $42 million (£32m) at a Christie's auction in London, the highest price realised for a work by the artist.
June: an R2-D2 prop used in the original Star Wars trilogy sells for a record $2.8 million (£2.1m)
The Holy Grail for Star Wars fans, the real-deal R2-D2 prop used in the original film trilogy netted a cool $2.8 million (£2.1m) at a Profiles in History sale in California in June, the highest price ever achieved for a movie prop at auction.
July: a collection of rare Disney animation art sells for a record $1.4 million (£1.1m)
At the beginning of July, a collection of rare Disney animation art from a variety of classic, much-loved movies came up for auction in Dallas. The Heritage sale, which included this artwork from Fantasia by Kay Nielsen, grossed $1.4 million (£1.1m), a record for an animation art sale.
July: an ancient Chinese bronze plate sells for a record $27.3 million (£20.8m)
A new world record for a Chinese antique art piece, this highly prized 1,000-year-old bronze plate went for an astronomical $27.3 million (£20.8k) at a Xiling Yinshe auction in Hangzhou, eastern China on July 15.
August: a rare McLaren F1 sells for a record $15.6 million (£11.8m)
In August, two car sales were the highlights of the month. In the first sale, a Bonhams auction in Carmel, California, this rare 1995 McLaren F1 sold for $15.6 million (£11.8m), a record price for a McLaren hypercar.
August: a rare 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 sells for a record $22.5 million (£17.1m)
Hot on its heels, this rare 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 fetched a jaw-dropping $22.5 million (£17.1m) at a Sotheby's auction in Monterey, California, making it the most expensive Aston Martin and the priciest ever British-made car sold at auction.
September: a brand new Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta sells for a record $9.6 million (£7.3m)
In September, the record auction price for a brand new car was shattered by this Ferrari La Ferrari Aperta. The stunning hypercar, which hasn't even been built yet, sold for $9.6 million (£7.3m) at a charity auction in Italy.
September: Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany's script sells for a record $834,000 (£632k)
Later in September, Audrey Hepburn's actual Breakfast at Tiffany's script, complete with the actress's handwritten notes, fetched $834,000 (£632k) at a Christie's sale in London, a record-breaking sum for a film script sold at auction.
October: an antique Chinese porcelain bowl sells for a record $37.7 million (£28.6m)
In October, the record price realised at auction for a Chinese antique art piece, which was set by the bronze plate in July, was smashed when this incredibly rare but rather plain-looking 1,000-year-old porcelain bowl sold for $37.7 million (£28.6m) at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong.
October: Paul Newman's Rolex sells for a record $17.8 million (£13.6m)
Paul Newman's stainless steel Rolex shattered the world record for a wristwatch sold at auction when it fetched $17.8 million (£13.6m) at Phillips in New York in October. The watch had been bought for Newman by his wife Joanne Woodward from a Tiffany & Co store in New York in 1968. She had it inscribed with the words 'Drive carefully', as the actor was embarking on a motor racing career at the time. He gave it to his daughter's boyfriend in 1984.
November: Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi sells for a record $450 million (£341m)
A 500-year-old painting entitled Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World) smashed the world record for a piece of art sold at auction when it went for $450 million (£341m) at Christie's in New York. Some experts have questioned its authenticity but that didn't deter a bidding war for the work, which was originally thought to have been painted by one of da Vinci's followers.
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