3-1/4-inch Mesopotamian sculpture sells for record 57 million dollars

[kurth]

Mesopotamian sculpture sells for record 57 million dollars

NEW YORK (AFP) - A tiny and extremely rare 5,000-year-old white limestone sculpture from ancient Mesopotamia sold for 57.2 million dollars in New York on Wednesday, smashing records for both sculpture and antiquities.

The carved Guennol Lioness, measuring just over eight centimeters (3 1/4 inches) tall, was described by Sotheby's auction house as one of the last known masterworks from the dawn of civilization remaining in private hands.

"It was an honor for us to handle The Guennol Lioness, one of the greatest works of art of all time," Richard Keresey and Florent Heintz, the experts in charge of the sale, said in a joint statement.

"Before the sale, a great connoisseur of art commented to us that he always regarded the figure as the 'finest sculpture on earth' and it would appear that the market agreed with him," they said...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071206/ts_afp/entertainmentartusantiquityauction

[Blashyrkh]

1. A shame it's going to sit next to a Mr Potato Head in that Englishmen's study.

Just incredible.

[robinlynne]

2. That could build 5700 homes in new orleans, probably more.

[alfredo]

3. It is a beautiful piece. How much per ounce?

[aikoaiko]

4. It is pretty cool looking....

[Trajan]

5. Art is for the people .....

And the People shall have it:

[pansypoo53219]

10. that is a very cool piece.

if i had dug it up, straight into hoard. think i will go kiss my little carved 'aztec' bird. then go finish my painting. CREATE! inspiration.

[aquart]

13. Weird posture.

Bipedal like a human, muscled like a great beast, female. And the top half of the torso is turned to the side. Except for the head which is in the same direction as the legs. Anatomically, not a bit easy. I just tried it. So why do it?

[Richard Steele]

6. Even if that thing was 5000 -SECONDS- old, it would still be a magnificent piece.

"Before the sale, a great connoisseur of art
commented to us that he always regarded the figure
as the 'finest sculpture on earth' and it would
appear that the market agreed with him,"

The sale easily broke the previous record for the
highest price for a sculpture at auction, which
had stood at 29.1 million dollars and was set j
ust last month at Sotheby's in New York by Picasso's
"Tete de Femme (Dora Maar).

?x=180&y=231&sig=eg5xcByUYnw5x26D7YahBQ--


Just for the record, Picasso's sculptural works are utter shite, as a rule.

[burrowowl]

7. Was it looted during the

beginning of the Iraq invasion?

[MagickMuffin]

9. That was my FIRST reaction

However, after reading the article I found that not to be the case.


The piece was acquired by private collector Alastair Bradley Martin in 1948 and has been on display in New York's Brooklyn Museum of Art ever since.


But you can bet that somewhere down the line there will be some artifacts sold at auction or behind closed doors that is the booty of Iraq.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

8. Wow -- this sculpture is older than the world.

Isn't that right fundy-f*$#s?

OK... I'm pissed that this money could not be better spent.

[FloridaJudy]

12. According to the article

The money from the sale will go to charity.

Still, it's a shame it'll be in someone's private collection.

[ConsAreLiars]

11. And yet another piece of our common heritage gets disappeared into some rich wankers private

collection of self masturbatory appliances. What a sad commentary on the state of this poor world.