LONDON: From a sculpture of model Kate Moss to an elaborate elephant liqueur set, an array of items made with gold will go under the hammer next week in auction house Sotheby’s first ever sale dedicated to the precious metal.
From antiquities to contemporary pieces, “The Midas Touch” sale on October 17 in London features jewellery, art, furniture — and even a Ferrari car.
“It’s the first time we’ve had a sale totally devoted to gold,” Constantine Frangos, senior director at Sotheby’s, said. “We’re looking at gold objects that are pure gold, objects that are gilt gold, which means that there is gold leaf on them or the colour gold. So we’ve kept it pretty open to cover all types of gold.”
Among the highlights is an 18 carat gold sculpture of Moss’ head made by British artist Marc Quinn, estimated to be worth between £300,000-£400,000 ($395,000-$527,000).
An artwork with gold leaf by Yves Klein, “Monogold Sans Titre,” is seen fetching £800,000-£1.2 million, while a Baccarat gilt-bronze and frosted cut-crystal liqueur set in the shape of an elephant is estimated at £250,000-£400,000.
The 1977 Ferrari 512 BB model, whose paintwork boasts a rare shade of gold, is priced at £350,000-£450,000
“It’s the rarity of gold,” Frangos said of the metal’s popularity. “Gold is extremely rare, and it’s one of the few materials that can’t be reproduced. There’s no such thing as man-made gold.” — Reuters
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