SOTHEBY'S SELLS MARBLE TOSO FOR RECORD $7,362,500

IN A PACKED SALESROOM AT SOTHEBY'S, NEW YORK, RECENTLY, A MARBLE TORSO OF AN EMPEROR (PROBABLY AUGUSTUS, TIBERIUS OF CLAUDIUS), ROMAN IMPERIAL, JULIO CLAUDIAN, 1st HALF OF THE 1st CENTURY AD, SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATIONS, SELLING FOR A REMARKABLE $7,362,500, MORE THAN SIX TIMES THE HIGH ESTIMATE OF $1.2 MILLION. AT LEAST SEVEN BIDDERS IN THE ROOM AND ON NUMEROUS TELEPHONES PURSUED THE STUNNING PIECE, WHICH WAS FROM AN AUSTRIAN FAMILY COLLECTION. THE SALESROOM ERUPTED IN APPLAUSE WHEN AN ANONYMOUS BIDDER, PARTICIPATING OVER THE TELEPHONE, CAST THE WINNING BID. THE MARBLE TORSO OF AN EMPEROR WAS INCLUDED IN A SALE OF ANTIQUITIES WHICH TOTALED $17,479,940 (est. $3.2/4.8 million), THE HIGHEST TOTAL FOR A SALE IN THIS CATEGORY AT SOTHEBY'S SINCE DECEMBER 2007. THE SAME AUSTRIAN FAMILY COLLECTION THAT CONSIGNED THE TORSO HAD ALSO CONSIGNED THREE SATYRS FIGHTING A SERPENT, ROMA IMPERIAL, CIRCA 1st CENTURY AD, A REDISCOVERED ANTIQUITY FROM THE COLLECTION OF ONE OF THE GREATEST ARTS PATRONS OF ALL TIME, LORENZO DE MEDICI. AS THE ONLY ANCIENT SCULPTURE CONFIRMED TO HAVE BEEN IN 'IL MAGNIFICO'S' COLLECTION, COMPETITION WAS ALSO FIERCE FOR THE ANCIENT TREASURE, WHICH FINALLY SOLD TO AN ANONYMOUS PRIVATE BUYER FOR $3,442,500, MORE THAN SIX TIMES THE HIGH ESTIMATE OF $500,000.