Christie's Sets New World Auction Record For An Egyptian Antiquity

NEW YORK CITY

:A series of three sales in the antiquities field totaled nearly $14.5 million at Christie's on December 9. The highlight of the auctions was an Egyptian limestone group statue of Ka-nefer and his family, Old Kingdom, Dynasty V, 2465-2323 BC, which made $2,816,000 and established a new world auction record for an Egyptian antiquity.

Achieving its record price against a presale estimate of $1/1.5 million, the statue was bought in the room for the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, by Michael Ward of Ward & Company, New York City.

From an American private collection, the statue was one of the most impressive lots offered in Christie's sale of antiquities. The statue represents Ka-nefer seated on a high bench with a hieroglyphic inscription by his feet reading "Overseer of the Craftsmen, Priest of Ptah, Ka-nefer." His wife and son are represented in much smaller scale at either side of Ka-nefer, both with their arms affectionately embracing Ka-nefer's legs.

The price for this statue eclipsed the record set 30 minutes earlier when a splendid and rare Egyptian black granite standard-bearing statue of Queen Nefertari, New Kingdom, Dynasty XIX, Reign of Ramesses II, 1290-1224 BC from the Harer family trust collection was sold for $2,256,000. The previous world auction record for an Egyptian antiquity was $1,418,418 for an Egyptian sarcophagus at Christie's in South Kensington in 2003.

"Absolutely amazing results," said G. Max Bernheimer, Christie's international specialist for antiquities. "The combined total for ancient jewelry, ancient Egyptian art from the Harer family trust and antiquities was the second highest total in the history of the department."

Other notables were the Roman over life-sized bronze portrait of the Emperor Antoninus Pius that soared to $2,256,000, the Greek terra cotta figure of Alexander the Great, which sold for $553,600, and the Roman marble centauromachy sarcophagus, which achieved $486,400.

The results, said Bernheimer, "solidify Christie's as the world's undisputed leading auctioneer for ancient art."

The antiquities and ancient jewelry sales were 90 percent sold by value and 79 percent sold by lot. Rounding out the sale's top ten lots were a Roman marble head of Apollo, circa 130-150 AD, $307,200; a Greek marble bust of Aphrodite, Hellenistic Period, circa Third-Second Century BC, $240,000; an Egyptian limestone relief of Ipi, Old Kingdom, Dynasty V, 2465-2323 BC, $120,000; an Egyptian limestone relief for Ipi, Old Kingdom, Dynasty V, 2465-2323 BC, $120,000; a Greek bronze Corinthian helmet, Archaic Period, circa mid-Sixth Century BC, $108,000; and an Egyptian granite head from a block statue, New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII, Reign of Amenhotep II, 1427-1401 BC, $102,000.

Prices reported include buyer's premium. For information, 212-636-2000 or www.christies.com.