All the attention paid to the Old Master sales may have distracted us from the other collecting field that has gone from strength to strength during the art market crash. Antiquities continue on their multi-year run with sales that were much stronger than the Old Master market on relative terms. At Sotheby’s, every one of the top ten lots sold for more than the high estimate, including the buyer’s premium. Some lots sold for multiples of the high estimate.  Sotheby’s Antiquities Top Ten

Christie’s achieved a higher sale total but with a lower average lot price by moving a greater number of lots–77% more. Seven out of the top ten lots at Christie’s sold for prices above the high estimates but generally without the fireworks seen at Sotheby’s. Christie’s Antiquities Top Ten