Saturday, October 6, 2012

Brooke Astor home auction fetches $18.8M in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — An auction of the contents of philanthropist Brooke Astor's two homes brought in over $18.8 million, Sotheby's said Tuesday.

Sotheby's offered 901 objects in all, including European and Asian furnishings, Old Masters, Qing Dynasty paintings, tea sets, silverware, jewelry, a porcelain menagerie, more than 100 dog paintings and even the uniforms of her domestic staff at a two-day auction that began Monday.

Proceeds will go to institutions and charities, including the New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, under a settlement negotiated by the state attorney general's office.
The collection had expected to fetch just $6 million to $9 million.

The sale concluded Tuesday evening with a selection of jewelry from Astor's personal collection. Among the highlights was Astor's emerald engagement ring, which sold for more than $1.2 million.

Full Article and Source:
Brooke Astor home auction fetches $18.8M in NYC

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4 comments:

StandUp said...

She was such a philanthropist, I am glad to see the proceeds going to charity.

Barbara said...

I agree. It's what she would have wanted according to all accounts.

Anonymous said...

I agree too, but at the same time, it's a reminder that no matter what we have, we can't take it with us. Material things don't last.

Thelma said...

It's too bad she didn't get to enjoy her wealth until the very end, but she was a strong philanthropist.