Going for gold: Sotheby's to hold first sale dedicated to precious metal
A Sotheby's employee poses with a bust of Kate Moss in solid 18-carat gold during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection at Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
LONDON (Reuters) - 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 Oct. 17 in London features jewelry, 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.
A man films 'The Baccarat Elephant Cave A Liqueur' during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
"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 color 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 and 400,000 pounds ($395,000-$527,000).
An artwork with gold leaf by Yves Klein, "Monogold Sans Titre", is seen fetching 800,000 pounds - 1.2 million pounds, while a Baccarat gilt-bronze and frosted cut-crystal liqueur set in the shape of an elephant is estimated at 250,000 pounds - 400,000 pounds.
A 1977 Gold Ferrari on show during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection at Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
The 1977 Ferrari 512 BB model, whose paintwork boasts a rare shade of gold, is priced at 350,000 pounds - 450,000 pounds
"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 manmade gold."
($1 = 0.7590 pounds)
A pair of golden violins on show during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection at Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
(Reporting by Sarah Mills; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
A Sotheby's employee poses with a gold figure of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry NichollsAn employee poses with a painting by Wei Ligang during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVESA Sotheby's employee poses with a Gold Monochrome Canvas by Yves Klein during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry NichollsA bust of Kate Moss in solid 18-carat gold on show during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection at Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry NichollsA Sotheby's employee poses with a Gold Monochrome Canvas by Yves Klein during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVESA Sotheby's employee poses with 'The Baccarat Elephant Cave A Liqueur' during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry NichollsA 1977 Gold Ferrari on show during a photocall for 'The Midas Touch' collection at Sotheby's in London, Britain, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
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