: A Mayan jade regal belt pendant achieved a new world auction
record for any pre-Columbian work of art at Christie's November
12 sale of pre-Columbian art from a European private collection.
The early classic belt pendant, circa 400-500 AD, brought
$1,575,500 and was purchased by the US trade.
Fatma Turkkan-Wille, consultant for pre-Columbian art, said,
"Between the animated room and the active telephones, this
much-anticipated sale was eagerly besieged by collectors and
institutions from around the world. The exquisite provenance of
the objects - many coming from the Carlo Gay collection, the
doyen of Guerrero art - their rarity and the universal beauty
they emanate, excited seasoned collectors and seduced new buyers
at all levels. The spectacular result for the Mayan jade regal
belt established a new world auction record for any pre-Columbian
work of art while the overall sale result pushed the boundaries
even further, setting a new record for any sale of pre-Columbian
art."
The sale totaled $3,229,091 and was 93 percent sold by value and
73 percent sold by lot.
