The Hirst and Warhol works didn’t sell well but Takashi Murakami’s Kaikai kiki was a surprise hit selling for nearly £2m or triple the high estimate for the work.

This evening’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction realised £19,585,400 / $31,356,225 / €22,229,429

against a pre-sale estimate of £15,970,000 to £22,710,000

86% by lot. Buyer breakdown (by lot) was 66% Europe including the UK and 34% Americas.

4 lots sold for over £1 million / 9 for over $1 million

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he Italian Sale achieved the highest ever total for the category realising £18,627,650 / $29,822,868 / €21,142,382

against a pre-sale estimate of £14,263,000 to £20,188,000.

It was 78% sold by lot.

The top price was paid for Cavaliere by Marino Marini (1901-1980) which sold for £4,465,250 /$7,148,865 /€5,068,059 – a world record price for the artist at auction.

Buyer breakdown (by lot) was 22% Italy, 67% rest of Europe and 11% Americas.

2 lots sold for over £1 million / 9 for over $1 million.