Christie’s sale earns millions
A two-day sale of 882 Greek royal heirlooms by auction house Christie’s ended yesterday. The event met with strong demand as bidding pushed revenues well above expectations. Sources said the sale had gone very well despite warnings from Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis that potential buyers could face legal action if they could not prove the items were legally taken from Greece. The first day of the auction earned Christie’s some -10 million while bidding on the second day continued until late yesterday. Among the items that reached an impressive price was a pair of silver bottles dating back to 1866 that went under the hammer for -878,067. The bottles were a gift to King George I and Queen Olga on the occasion of their wedding in 1867. Another item that fetched a high price was a silver statue of a horse and rider, made in 1888, which went for -200,000.
