Chinese collectors are not the only ones traveling across the globe to reclaim their cultural patrimony. The Australian Financial Review reports that Russian collectors have been active in Sydney’s sales:
The Russians did indeed come to Menzies Sydney art auction last Thursday night, albeit via the telephone rather than in person. Seven phone bidders lined up against Sydney dealer Denis Savill to compete for Basil Schoukhaeff’s 1928 painting Cassis. With Macquarie Galleries and Hans Heysen provenance, it was knocked down to a phone bidder for a $260,000 hammer, many times more than its modest $50,000 to $80,000 estimate.
And the Russians Came (Australian Financial Review)