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Most Expensive Ancient Art ever sold

Fresh Money for Old Stones: The Most Expensive Antiquities ever sold

by theartwolf.com

Ancient Art / Antiquities is by far the most intriguing and unknown section of the art market. In fact, it is sometimes the perfect place for criminals, smugglers and looters, who operate in almost any country with a rich heritage. Perhaps the most famous and illustrating example is the so-called “Persian Mummy”, the mummy of an alleged Persian princess that was “discovered” in Pakistan in late 2000. The mummy had been put up for sale in the black market for an asking price of more than $15 million, but, one year later, an in-depth analysis of the corpse concluded that the Persian “Princess” was in fact a modern woman of about 21 who had died maybe two years before, possibly killed with a blunt instrument.

But all these scandals have not stopped the rise of the prices for top-quality antiquities, pieces that can be as sought-after as a Picasso or a Monet, for example. Well-preserved, good-provenance artworks can easily fetch up to $10 million or more in auction houses like Christie’s or Sotheby’s, or in Art fairs like the TEFAF in Maastricht.

Here is a list of the most expensive Ancient artworks ever sold, as far as we know the one and only list of its kind online. theArtWolf will be ready to update it if new acquisitions come to light. And remember that you can also help us to create a more complete list if you see any error or omission. Then, please contact us.

** Inflation-adjusted price

Author / CultureWorkDateOriginal PriceAdjusted Price**DescriptionImageDate of Sale
GreeceKouros - statue of a youthc.530 b.C.$7,000,000$17,770,000Some sources say $9 million - Private sale, 1986. Buyer: The Getty Museum . Seller: Gianfranco Becchina. Some experts consider this piece to be a modern fakeKouros - Getty1986
Greek, attributed to Phidias or his circleIvory face of Apolloc. 4th century b.C.$10,000,000$17,700,000Private sale, 1996. Buyer: Nino Savoca. Seller: Pietro Casasanta. The piece was found to have been looted from Italy.
Image by Carole Raddato, license Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Greece - Ivory Face Apollo1996
AssyrianThe Canford Assyrian relief883-859 b.C.$11,300,000$21,165,000Christie's London , July 6 th 1994. Buyer: The Miho Museum . Seller: The Canford ManorAssyrian - Canford Assyrian Frieze1994
Greek (sometimes attributed to LysipposVictorious Youth300 b.C. - 100 b.C.$3,950,000$17,980,000Private sale, 1977. Seller: Herman Heinz Herzer. Buyer: Getty MuseumVictorious Youth - Latleta di Fano - Getty Museum1977
RomanThe Jenkins Venus (The Barberini Venus)c.1 st -2 nd century a.C.$11,700,000$18,060,000Christie's London , July 2002. Buyer: Anonymous. Seller: Richard Compton2002
ChineseBronze figure of a tapirWarring States , 4th century b.c.$12,000,000$16,240,000Private sale, TEFAF Maastricht 2007. Buyer: Chinese private collector. Seller: Littleton & Hennessy Asian Art.2007
The Schuster Master (Cycladic)Cycladic reclining female figureCycladic II, c.2400 b.c$16,882,500$21,410,000Christie's's NY, December 9th 2010. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: New York private collector2010
RomanMarble Group of Leda and the Swancirca 2nd Century a.C.$19,122,500$23,552,000Sotheby's NY, December 8th 2011. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: Marques of Zetland2011
RomanThe Hamilton Aphrodite1st-2nd century A.D.$24,580,000$24,580,000Sotheby's London, December 7th 2021. Buyer: unknown. Seller: private collectorRoman - Hamilton Aphrodite2021
RomanBust of Antinouscirca 130-138 a.c.$23,826,500$30,215,000Sotheby's NY, December 8th 2010. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: Estate of Clarence Day2010
South ItalyStatue of Aphroditec.400 b.C.$18,000,000$42,200,000Private sale, 1988. Buyer: The Getty Museum . Seller: Private collection1988
ChineseRitual wine vessel: The Ming FangleiLate Shang / Early West Zhou (12th – 11th cent. b.C).$25,000,000$29,170,000Price between $20 to 30 million
Private sale, 2014. Buyer: Chinese private collectors on behalf of the Hunan Museum. Seller: French collector.
Image by Huangdan2060
China - Ming Fanglei2014
EgyptianThe Northampton Sekhemka statue5th dynasty (c. 2494–2345 b.C.)$27,150,000$31,675,000Christie's London, July 10th, 2014. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: Northampton Museum.
Image via Christie's (www.christies.com)
Egyptian - Sekhemka - Christies2014
ChineseBronze ritual ram13th – 11th century bC.$27,127,500$30,930,000Christies's NY, March 15th, 2017. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: Fujita Museum.
Image via christies.com (www.christies.com)
China - Fujita Gong - Christies2017
Chinese, AnyangRitual wine vessel, pou.Late Shang, 13th – 11th cent. bC.$27,127,500$30,930,000Christies's NY, March 15th, 2017. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: Fujita Museum.
Image via christies.com (www.christies.com)
China - Fujita Pou - Christies2017
ChineseThe 'Xi Jia' PanWestern Zhou, 1046 - 771 b.C.$27,300,000$30,980,000Sold for 185 million yuan ($27.3 million) in Hangzhou2017
RomanArtemis and the stagc.1 st Century B.C./ 1 st Century A.D$28,600,000$38,155,000Sotheby's NY, June 7 th 2007. Buyer: Giuseppe Eskenazi. Seller: Albright Knox Art Galleryartemise sothebys2007
AssyrianRelief of a winged genius883-859 b.C.$30,968,750$34,050,000Christie's NY, October 31, 2018. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: Virginia Theological Seminary.
Image via Christie's (www.christies.com)
Assyrian Relief - Christies - 20182018
ChineseBronze Ritual Wine Vessel & Cover, FangleiLate Shang$33,847,500$38,588,000Christies's NY, March 15th, 2017. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: Fujita Museum.2017
Chinese, AnyangRitual wine vessel, fangzunLate Shang, 13th – 11th cent. B.C.$37,207,500$42,420,000Christies's NY, March 15th, 2017. Buyer: Unknown. Seller: Fujita Museum.
Image via Christie's (www.christies.com)
China - Fujita Fangzun - Christies2017
Near EasternThe Guennol Lionessc. 3000 b.C.$57,200,000$75,700,000Sotheby's NY, December 5th 2007. Buyer: Private British collector. Seller: Alastair Bradley Martin Fund.Guennol Lioness - zoom2007

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Most Expensive Ancient Art