Invaluable Says It Was Granted a Patent on Bidding Technology: The Boston-based company announced that it has gotten a patent. Invaluable CEO Rob Weisberg said, “the patent recognizes the unique live auction bidding console technology developed and managed by Invaluable. The Invaluable technology aggregates all online live auction marketplaces and funnels bids to a single auction house clerk utilizing one clerking console powered by Invaluable. This integration spares auction houses from having to use multiple clerks to take bids from several online live marketplaces and sort them in real time during a sale and manage them post-sale.” …

Congratulations! You’re Leonardo: Terence Eden applied for a Verisart blockchain for the Mona Lisa—and got it! “So we’re in this ridiculous situation where an art certifier has permanently and irrevocably told the world that I painted the Mona Lisa.” …

Sotheby’s Modern and Post-War British Sale Was Small (£3.7m) But Had Some Big Pops: This Barbara Hepworth, Mother and Child sold for nearly twice the high estimate with premium at £118k. …

Paris Continues to See Big Sales: In the wake of two big sales of Chinese ceramics in France, Sotheby’s Paris sold this Fang head for €2.57m over a €1.5m high estimate in its African and Oceanic Art sale which saw several similar sales over the estimate range.