A rare Stradivari viola set to be auctioned this spring by Sotheby’s is expected to fetch at least $45 million – making it the most expensive musical instrument ever sold.
The MacDonald Viola (which is slightly larger than a violin) was crafted by Italian artisan Antonio Stradivari (maker of the famed violins) in 1719. Only 10 of the violas are known to still exist today. In contrast, over 600 Stradivari violins still exist). The sale will mark the first time one of the famed violas has been put on the market in 50 years.
The Macdonald is widely considered the finest viola in the world. It is made of alpine spruce with a back crafted from a single piece of maple. The instrument is reportedly in perfect condition. It is called the Macdonald because it was purchased by Godfrey Bosville, the 3rd Baron Macdonald, in the 1800s.
The auction of the rare instrument will require a minimum bid of $45 million. All bids will be sealed, and the highest bidder announced on June 25.
Stradivari was born in Italy in 1644. Over his 70 year career he fashioned the finest violins and violas the world has ever seen (and heard).
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation’s 11th Hour auction at Christie’s raised over $38.8 million Monday night in New York.
In an effort to raise money for environmental protection causes, the Hollywood star and Christie’s auctioned off works from the world’s most famous artists including Banksy, Andreas Gursky, Bharti Kher, Julian Schnabel, Richard Prince, Mark Ryden and more.
Pictured below is a portrait of DiCaprio by American artist Elizabeth Peyton. It sold for a shocking $1.05 million to an unknown bidder at the auction.
The 11th Hour auction was dedicated to protect the last wild places on earth and endangered species, with the money raised at the auction going to conservation projects championed by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. The star-studded auction attracted actors like Bradley Cooper, Salma Hayek and Tobey Maguire.
“Despite the significant efforts of organizations and individuals all over the world, our modern way of life has caused unprecedented devastation to our oceans, our forests and our wildlife,” the actor said. “We are at the 11th hour, we are facing a tipping point of environmental crisis unprecedented in human history.”
At the end of the night, the auction house said “The gifts of many other generous donors totaled $500,000, generating an overall amount of $38.8 million.”
Forget the WII U and Playstation 4, if you really want to impress your friends this Christmas, slide the stunning 24-karat gold Xbox One under the Christmas tree. Perhaps the rarest Xbox One bundle ever, this gold-plated version of Microsoft’s latest gaming system is the ultimate gamer status symbol.
This over-the-top luxurious Xbox One is available now in limited quantities exclusively in the Harrods Technology section, on the Third Floor of London’s iconic shopping destination on Brompton Road. It cost £6000, roughly $9774 US, but as the old adage goes, ‘If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.’
For the affluent gamer, the 24-karat gold Xbox One is the ideal Christmas present. This one is sure to have plenty of gamers worried that they’re on the naughty list this year.
A Christmas wreath featuring over 40 glittering diamonds and rubies was launched this week. Costing a cool $4,645,800, the 138.83 carat wreath is made to order and takes just under a week to create.
The start of the piece is a 17.49 carat ruby, which is offset by a 3.03 carat yellow diamond.
Designed by top Finnish florist Pasi Jokinen-Carter, the wreath is made from some of the most luxurious flowers in the world, including Hedera berries, Nobilis, lingonberry and blueberry stems and hand-curled eucalyptus leaves.
The wreath also features Helleborus flower heads, one of which holds no fewer than 22 loose diamonds totaling 2.64 carats. The gems are all removable and can be added to next year’s wreath.
Alternatively, London jeweler and provider of the stones, 77 Diamonds, can turn the rocks into a bespoke piece of jewelry for no extra cost once the festive period is over.
Tobias Kormind, Co-owner of 77 Diamonds, said: “It is exhilarating to participate in curating a selection of gems that would create the most sparkling Christmas anyone could wish for.”
The wreath is available to buy from luxury website VeryFirstTo.com.
Founded in 2011 by a professional table tennis (also known as “Ping-Pong”) player and several dedicated advocates of the sport, Eleven Ravens is the premier manufacturing company for custom-made table tennis tables in the United States. Bernard Semerdjian serves as the head of the Creative Design Department for the company and is the primary designer for their luxury ping-pong tables. Specializing in interactive digital interface design and 3D imaging, Semerdjian has been a dedicated table tennis player for the past five years. According to the company, Semerdjian has produced table tennis designs unlike anything ever seen before in this field.
Only five of this limited edition Stealth Premier Ping-Pong Table will be produced. Costing $70,000, each table will be personally numbered and signed by Semerdjian. Inspired by the Nighthawk Stealth Bomber, and made entirely from aircraft grade aluminum with carbon fiber accents, only five of this limited edition Stealth Premier Ping-Pong Table will be produced. More info.
Born to Run. It may be the greatest rock n’ roll song ever. Even if you’re not a Bruce Springsteen fan, you’ve probably heard it a million times and can recite the lyrics by heart. That makes the announcement that the original, handwritten manuscript of ‘Born to Run’ will be put up for auction. The rough manuscript is expected to fetch between $70,000 and $100,000.
The manuscript, dated to 1974, is handwritten by Springsteen in blue ink. There many notes in the margins and revisions throughout.
Springsteen fans will no doubt pour over the manuscript, noting the evolution of one of rock’s most enduring songs.
Sotheby’s said the document used to be in the collection of Springsteen’s former manager, Mike Appel, but the seller has not been revealed.
Springsteen has a new album, ‘High Hopes’, set for release on January 14.
The first book written in what is today the United States of America fetched $14.2 million in New York on Tuesday, becoming the world’s most expensive printed book sold at auction.
The translation of Biblical psalms “The Bay Psalm Book” was printed by Puritan settlers in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640 and sold at a one-lot auction in just minutes by Sotheby’s.
The book, with its browning pages and gilt edges, was displayed in a glass case behind the auctioneer to a relatively small crowd which attended the less than five-minute auction in person.
The settlers, who came to America to seek religious freedom, had set about making their own preferred translation from the Hebrew original of the Old Testament book after arriving from Europe.
Canada has sold the John A. Macdonald building, the mansion in London that is home to some of the country’s diplomatic activities in the U.K.
Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Gordon Campbell confirmed the sale Thursday of One Grosvenor Square, which went to an Indian developer, Lodha Group, for $530 million (£305 m).
About 250 diplomatic staff based in the Macdonald building will be consolidated in Canada House, which is about half a kilometre away, in a move to save money.
It’s “the stuff dreams are made of.” Humphrey Bogart uttered those words at the conclusion of the the classic 1941 film noir The Maltese Falcon. Little did the filmmakers at the time realize how true the statement was as the fabled Black Bird – one of only two made for the production of the film – sold at auction for $3.5 million.
The lead statue weighs 45 pounds and stands 12-inches tall. The statue, which was auctioned by Bonhams, has a bent tail feather – the result of being dropped by actress Lee Patrick. Even though two of the statues were made, Warner Bros. has confirmed that the statue sent to auction is the only one to appear in the actual film. The figurine has a Warner Bros. inventory number etched into the base.
The Maltese Falcon starred Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. It was based on a novel by Dashiell Hammett. John Huston wrote the screenplay and directed (his debut). The result was one of the great films of all-time.
A special red finish Mac Pro created by Apple’s Jony Ive and Marc Newson for the (RED) auction has sold for $977,000. The auction occurred at Sotheby’s, with proceeds going to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The nearly $1 million bid makes the red Mac Pro the most expensive desktop PC ever bult or sold.
The Mac Pro was not the only item created by the Apple design gurus. Ive and Newson also made a pair of rose gold Apple Earpods that sold for $461,000 and Leica Digital Rangefinder Camera that went for $1.8 million.
The star lot of Thursday’s Art of the Automobile Auction held at Sotheby’s New York, the 1964 250 LM by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, becomes the third most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction.
And, thanks to a final bid of $14.3 million (€10.58 million) it is both a world record price for an example of the Carrozzeria Scaglietti-designed racing car and an amount large enough to gain the car entry to that most exclusive of lists — namely the top 10 list of the most expensive cars in history — Ferraris or not — to go under the hammer.
It may take some doing to dislodge the car currently in first place, Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 Single-Seater, which sold at Bonhams in July for an incredible $29,650,095 (€22,701,864). Still, this Ferrari 250 LM, of which only 32 were ever built, is viewed as equally special to Prancing Horse aficionados.
It was the first Ferrari to use a mid-engine layout meaning that Mr Scaglietti could ‘go crazy’ with the body shell design, wrapping the panels round the shorter body and creating the Ferrari design principles that persist to this day.
And that engine, a 320-horsepower V12, was a technological and engineering marvel, blitzing the competition. All of which explains the frenzied bidding and why the final price paid make the car the fourth most expensive in history — just behind two other Ferraris — a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider which sold this year for $27.5 million (€20.35 million) in August and a 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype which fetched $16.39 million (€12.1 million) in 2011.
These prices may sound incredible and suggest that a classic car bubble is about to burst, but the truth is that the prices paid at auction are usually much lower than those paid in private and brokered sales. The Ferrari 250 GTO is the ultimate classic collectors’ car yet it never gets a chance to get as far as an auction and as a result they regularly change hands for upwards of $40 million (€30 million). Expect chaos if one were actually to make it into an auction catalogue.
The same auction also set a new record for the price paid for a Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II, a 1961 example fetching $2 million.
So, as of today, the top 10 most expensive cars ever sold at auction are:
1. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 Single-Seater $29,650,095 (€22,701,864) 2. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider $27,500,000 (€20.35 million) 3. 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype $16,390,000 (€12.13 million). 4. 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Carrozzeria Scaglietti $14,300,000 (€10.58 million). 5. 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ $12,812,800 (€9.48 million). 6. 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa $12,402,500 (€9.17 million). 7. 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster $11,770,000 (€8.7 million). 8. 1960 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione $11,275,000 (€8.3 million). 9. 1968 Ford GT40 $11,000,000 (€8.1 million). 10. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder $10,894,400 (€8 million).
The high-priced drink is a tasteful combination of citrus vodka, crème de violette and sparkling wine, topped with edible flowers. However it is served in a customized Swarovski martini glass which defends the thousand dollar price tag. The set of glasses is bejeweled by Swarovski Elements Product Application Manager, Nick Regine who is renowned as the “Professor of Crystal.” The limited edition cocktail is also served with two pieces of Swarovski jewelry.
The Macallan in Lalique V: The Spiritual Home is the latest work of art resulted out of the collaboration between the two renowned brands.
Harping ‘home is where the heart is’, the fifth decanter created for the six-series collection has been inspired by the Easter Elchies House on Macallan’s Speyside Estate in Scotland. Parisian art blends well with Scottish flavor to launch the rare 62 years old Macallan single malt whisky encased in beautifully engraved crystal.
The rich cherry colored whisky has a strong treacle toffee opening leading into raisin and blood orange. This is followed by notes of sweet ginger figs, cigar leaf and woody oak flavors. Till now, the Lalique Macallan collection included 50-, 55-, 57-, 60-years old whiskies. Claimed to be the second oldest Macallan ever released by their distillery since its foundation in 1824, this 62 years old Macallan was originally filled in American oak sherry seasoned casks in November 1950.
Lalique’s Marc Larminaux matched the sandstone walls of Easter Elchies House to the three sides of the decanter by creating a textured frosted surface. Also one of the frosted sides features the bold initials, JEG, replicating the initials which are incorporated in the original date stone. These initials belong to Captain John Grant, who oversaw the building of the Jacobean manor house in 1700.
The Scottish whiskey distiller states that ‘This collection has inspired interest from connoisseurs and collectors since its inception in 2005, representing a marriage of the finest and rarest Macallan single malt whiskies and bespoke designed decanters, interpreting our Six Pillars, from the master crystal craftsmen at Lalique’.
Valued at $25,000, the The Macallan in Lalique V: The Spiritual Home will be exclusively limited to 400 decanters only. Following the success of the first four editions from The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection, this fifth decanter is sure to surge up the tide as the most coveted collectible.
Luxury Scotch maker The Dalmore has released a new 25 year old expression. The Scotch whiskey joins the 12, 15, 18, Cigar Malt Reserve and King Alexander III as an addition to its Principal Collection of malts. Only 3,000 bottles of the new expression will be produced annually. Pricing is about $800.
The Dalmore 25 is birthed from a mix of white oak casks, Palomino Fino sherry butts, bourbon casks and Tawny port pipes.
The new brand was introduced at World Duty Free stores at Heathrow terminals 3 and 5 ahead of any other travel retail locations.
Milkshakes have always been an indulgence. But the new Powder Room in Hollywood is taking that idea to to new level with their Velvet Goldmine milkshake – a $500 concoction created by mixologist Adrianne Bigg.
The milkshake features premium spirits, edible gold, Belgian chocolate and is topped with a Swarovski crystal ring (which you get to take with you) valued at $190.
The $500 Velvet Goldmine milkshake will make its debut on November 22 when the Powder Room opens for business. Mixologist Biggs is still working out the final recipe of The Velvet Goldmine, but she says it will be “real lush and over-the-top” and will contain premium spirits, top-of-the-line Belgian chocolate and edible gold. Delicious.
A spectacular and rare orange diamond, the largest known gem of its kind, was on Tuesday auctioned for a record $35.54 million in Geneva.
“It’s a world record price for an orange diamond, it’s a world record price per carat for any coloured diamond,” the Christie’s auction house said of the sale.
Quote: Big girls need big diamonds. - Elizabeth Taylor
The price works out at $2.4 million per carat, beating the previous record of $2.15 million for the Vivid Pink Diamond sold in Hong Kong in 2009. The man who made the purchase swiftly got up and left the room to a round of applause. Christie’s did not reveal his identity.
The deep orange gemstone, found in South Africa, weighs a whopping 14.82 carats. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has handed it the top rating for coloured diamonds: “fancy vivid”.
Pure orange diamonds, also known as “fire diamonds”, are extremely uncommon and few have been auctioned, with the largest never more than six carats.
A work by British painter +Francis Bacon was sold for $142.4 million in New York, smashing the world record for the most expensive piece of art ever auctioned.
“Three Studies of Lucian Freud” by the 20th century figurative artist, who lived from 1909 to 1992, was sold by Christie’s on Tuesday, after being offered at auction for the first time.
“The work was sold for $142,405,000, after six minutes of fierce bidding in the room and on the phone,” Christie’s announced.
Hammered to an outburst of applause at the auction, it smashed the previous record of $119.9 million fetched by Edvard Munch’s iconic “The Scream” by rival house Sotheby’s in New York in May 2012.
“An historic moment,” said auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen when bidding temporarily stalled at $126 million, having opened at $80 million.
The rare triptych, executed almost 25 years after Bacon and Freud met, is the most expensive single lot offered in the entire New York November auction season.
The previous record for a Bacon painting was $86 million in 2008.
Pre-sale, Christie’s described the three studies work as “an icon of 20th century art” and said the auction was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to acquire it.
Just moments later Christie’s broke another record by selling the giant orange “Balloon Dog” sculpture by Jeff Koons for $58.4 million, making history for the sale of a work by a living artist.
It is one of five different colored such pieces by the American, who has most recently collaborated with Lady Gaga providing artwork for the pop diva’s third album Artpop released on Monday.
The Bacon and Koons were the two most prized lots among a stash of 20th century masterpieces that flew under the hammer in a flourishing market of post-war and contemporary art.
With impressionist and modern art harder to come by and many of the great works in museums, it is contemporary work that has seen such a dramatic rise in prices.
Brett Gorvy, head of post-war and contemporary art at Christie’s, said recently that sales had been revolutionized by new collectors looking for the best.
Billionaires from Asia, China, the Gulf, Latin America and Russia have galvanized the New York market where Americans have long dominated.
“What’s amazing about many of the newer collectors coming out of Asia or coming out of Russia, they have an incredible appetite, an incredible intelligence and these are not cowboys,” Gorvy said.
“These are people who want to put together major, major holdings of art because they’re responding to the art and they’re learning incredibly quickly,” he added.
Eleven white truffles have gone under the hammer in Italy for $367,620, including a pair bought by an anonymous buyer in China who paid out 90,000 euros, auctioneers said Monday.
A “famous Chinese writer” bidding by satellite telephone from Hong Kong fiercely outbid competitors for a 950-gram pair of truffles, organisers said, paying three times the price of gold for the white delicacy.
The auction, which took place Sunday in the Grinzane Cavour castle in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, also saw an unnamed buyer snap up a 305-gram specimen to be given as a gift to New York’s new mayor, Italo-American Bill De Blasio.
“It is an exceptional result, another edition which has given us great satisfaction,” Tomaso Zanoletti, head of the Piedmont region’s wine body, Cavour Enoteca, said in a statement.
The sums raised at the 14th edition of the White Truffle of Alba auction will be given to the Piedmont Foundation for Cancer Research and go toward the purchase of a CAT scanner for the +San Lazzaro hospital in Alba.
The funds raised by the Hong Kong sale will go to the Mother’s Choice institute which cares for orphans and mothers in difficulty, the organisers said.
The six liter bottle boasts of leapord motif and keeps up with the blingastic trend to be decked with 22-carat gold leaf. Only 60 such bold gold bottles will be available to celebrate the finest moments with the finest champagne.Arthus-Bertrand
Nectar Imperial Rose champagne reflects the diversity and complementarities of the three champagne grapes and the richness of the region’s best vineyards. It is a voluptuously gourmet expression of the Moët & Chandon style, a style distinguished by its bright fruitiness, its seductive palate and its elegant maturity. The pink color drink displays intense fruitiness of ripe berries: wild strawberry, redcurrant and blackcurrant with powerful notes of ripe yellow peach and a delectable nuance of strawberry jam. Crafted to please the senses, this rose champagne distinguishes itself by its extravagant fruitiness and delightfully crisp finish.
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