2014
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Jewels Blue diamond Koons Marshall Kusama Nara Ghenie Hypercars
See also : Jewels Blue diamond Koons Marshall Kusama Nara Ghenie Hypercars
2014 blue diamond from Cullinan mine
Intro
The raw gems of the Blue Moon and of the Cullinan Dream were found respectively in January and June 2014 at the Cullinan mine. Is there a special prospection campaign or a mere coincidence?
The discoveries of the 29.6-carat blue rough (later the Blue Moon) in January 2014 and the 122.52-carat blue rough (later the Cullinan Dream) in June 2014 at Petra Diamonds' Cullinan mine appear to be a mere coincidence rather than the result of a targeted prospection campaign for blue diamonds. The Cullinan mine, renowned as the world's primary source of rare Type IIb blue diamonds, was undergoing its ongoing C-Cut expansion project during this period—a multi-year development initiative started around 2012 to deepen the shaft, access new ore blocks, and increase overall production capacity from about 1 million carats per year to over 2.6 million by FY2019. This expansion involved standard block cave mining methods to tap into deeper kimberlite resources known for yielding large and high-quality gems, including blues, but contemporary reports and Petra's announcements describe the 2014 finds as individual "exceptional" recoveries during routine operations, without reference to any specialized blue diamond-focused exploration or prospection efforts.
Petra's heritage and operational updates highlight Cullinan's history of sporadic large blue diamond finds (e.g., a 25.5-carat blue in 2013 and later clusters like five blues in September 2020), attributing them to the mine's unique geology rather than deliberate campaigns. The 2014 discoveries occurred amid increased mining activity from the expansion, which naturally boosted the chances of encountering rare stones, but they were not linked to any specific blue-targeted initiative in available records or reports. Blue diamonds form due to boron impurities in the kimberlite and are unevenly distributed, making their appearance unpredictable even in a prolific source like Cullinan.
The discoveries of the 29.6-carat blue rough (later the Blue Moon) in January 2014 and the 122.52-carat blue rough (later the Cullinan Dream) in June 2014 at Petra Diamonds' Cullinan mine appear to be a mere coincidence rather than the result of a targeted prospection campaign for blue diamonds. The Cullinan mine, renowned as the world's primary source of rare Type IIb blue diamonds, was undergoing its ongoing C-Cut expansion project during this period—a multi-year development initiative started around 2012 to deepen the shaft, access new ore blocks, and increase overall production capacity from about 1 million carats per year to over 2.6 million by FY2019. This expansion involved standard block cave mining methods to tap into deeper kimberlite resources known for yielding large and high-quality gems, including blues, but contemporary reports and Petra's announcements describe the 2014 finds as individual "exceptional" recoveries during routine operations, without reference to any specialized blue diamond-focused exploration or prospection efforts.
Petra's heritage and operational updates highlight Cullinan's history of sporadic large blue diamond finds (e.g., a 25.5-carat blue in 2013 and later clusters like five blues in September 2020), attributing them to the mine's unique geology rather than deliberate campaigns. The 2014 discoveries occurred amid increased mining activity from the expansion, which naturally boosted the chances of encountering rare stones, but they were not linked to any specific blue-targeted initiative in available records or reports. Blue diamonds form due to boron impurities in the kimberlite and are unevenly distributed, making their appearance unpredictable even in a prolific source like Cullinan.
5️⃣ The Cullinan Dream
— Hewnfromstone (@Hewnfromstone1) September 8, 2025
24.18 carats. Sold for $25.4M in 2016. Proof that when size meets rarity, collectors pay insane sums. pic.twitter.com/DGLmhaP6al
1
The Blue Moon (of Josephine) by Cora International
2015 SOLD for CHF 49M by Sotheby's
The ground continues to unearth important diamonds. Yet, the discovery announced by Petra Diamonds in January 2014 of a 29.62 carat blue gem from the much famous Cullinan mine in South Africa aroused a particular interest in the diamond community.
The new diamond is fancy vivid blue without inclusion, which is already a great rarity. It was purchased by Cora International, headquartered in New York, which processed it. This fancy vivid blue cut to 12.03 carats is the largest internally flawless blue diamond in cushion shape.
Once completed, it revealed even more exceptional qualities. Its ocean blue color is perfect without a secondary hue. It has no fluorescence. An exposure to ultraviolet radiation generates an intense orange-red phosphorescence that persists for about twenty seconds, a sensational feature which is known only to a few blue diamonds of absolute purity.
It is a masterpiece in both its size and features. It was named The Blue Moon in reference both to its shape and to the saying 'Once in a blue moon' that means a total rarity. It seems inconceivable to find better in its class, especially since the production of the Cullinan mine tends to decrease.
The Blue Moon was sold for CHF 49M from a lower estimate of US $ 35M by Sotheby's on November 11, 2015, lot 513. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. Its record value at US $ 4M per carat rewards its absolute purity generating the phosphorescence effect.
It is now referred as the Blue Moon of Josephine.
Blue Moon : One of the first major blue diamonds post-discovery to achieve flawless clarity. Provide details about that breakthrough.
Discovery and Acquisition
The Blue Moon of Josephine, originally known as the Blue Moon diamond, was discovered in January 2014 at the Cullinan Mine in South Africa. This historic mine, famous for producing rare blue diamonds, yielded a 29.62-carat rough stone that exhibited promising blue hues due to trace boron impurities. Shortly after, it was acquired by Cora International LLC, a New York-based diamond manufacturer, for $25.6 million—setting a record price per carat for a rough diamond at the time.
Examination Process
Before cutting, the rough diamond underwent extensive scientific examination to assess its potential. This included infrared (IR) spectroscopy conducted at the Smithsonian Institution's Department of Mineral Sciences using advanced equipment like the Thermo Scientific Nicolet 6700 FTIR spectrometer. The analysis confirmed it as a Type IIb diamond, with no detectable nitrogen and an uncompensated boron concentration of approximately 0.26 ± 0.04 ppm, responsible for its blue color. Additional tests revealed intense orange-red phosphorescence under short-wave UV light, lasting up to 20 seconds, with spectral peaks at 660 nm (dominant) and 500 nm. Birefringence imaging under crossed polarizers showed a "tatami" strain pattern with gray and blue interference colors, indicating internal stresses typical of such gems. No fluorescence was observed. These months-long studies, spanning from discovery to June 2014, were crucial for planning the cut to maximize color, size, and clarity while minimizing risks.
Cutting and Polishing
The cutting process, handled by Cora International in New York, took about six months and transformed the rough into a 12.03-carat cushion modified brilliant cut diamond (measuring 15.57 × 13.47 × 7.55 mm). This involved precise faceting to enhance brilliance and light return, incorporating a small culet facet to aid in flaw removal. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) graded it as Fancy Vivid Blue (the highest color saturation for blues) and Internally Flawless (IF), meaning no internal inclusions visible under 10x magnification.
The Breakthrough in Achieving Flawless Clarity
Achieving Internally Flawless clarity in the Blue Moon was a significant breakthrough because Type IIb blue diamonds, colored by boron, often feature structural weaknesses, inclusions, or uneven color distribution that make high-clarity cuts exceedingly difficult—especially in stones over 10 carats. Boron impurities can introduce defects that compromise the crystal lattice, leading to internal flaws that are hard to eliminate without sacrificing size or color intensity. Prior to this, large Fancy Vivid Blue diamonds rarely achieved IF clarity post-discovery, as the cutting process risked amplifying these issues or reducing the stone too much. The team at Cora International overcame these challenges through advanced examination techniques (like detailed spectroscopy and strain analysis) to map inclusions precisely, followed by skilled, risk-calculated faceting that removed imperfections while preserving the vivid hue and yielding a substantial 12.03-carat gem. This marked one of the first instances of a major blue diamond being cut to such perfection shortly after discovery, setting a new benchmark in gemology and contributing to its record-breaking auction sale in 2015.
The new diamond is fancy vivid blue without inclusion, which is already a great rarity. It was purchased by Cora International, headquartered in New York, which processed it. This fancy vivid blue cut to 12.03 carats is the largest internally flawless blue diamond in cushion shape.
Once completed, it revealed even more exceptional qualities. Its ocean blue color is perfect without a secondary hue. It has no fluorescence. An exposure to ultraviolet radiation generates an intense orange-red phosphorescence that persists for about twenty seconds, a sensational feature which is known only to a few blue diamonds of absolute purity.
It is a masterpiece in both its size and features. It was named The Blue Moon in reference both to its shape and to the saying 'Once in a blue moon' that means a total rarity. It seems inconceivable to find better in its class, especially since the production of the Cullinan mine tends to decrease.
The Blue Moon was sold for CHF 49M from a lower estimate of US $ 35M by Sotheby's on November 11, 2015, lot 513. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. Its record value at US $ 4M per carat rewards its absolute purity generating the phosphorescence effect.
It is now referred as the Blue Moon of Josephine.
Blue Moon : One of the first major blue diamonds post-discovery to achieve flawless clarity. Provide details about that breakthrough.
Discovery and Acquisition
The Blue Moon of Josephine, originally known as the Blue Moon diamond, was discovered in January 2014 at the Cullinan Mine in South Africa. This historic mine, famous for producing rare blue diamonds, yielded a 29.62-carat rough stone that exhibited promising blue hues due to trace boron impurities. Shortly after, it was acquired by Cora International LLC, a New York-based diamond manufacturer, for $25.6 million—setting a record price per carat for a rough diamond at the time.
Examination Process
Before cutting, the rough diamond underwent extensive scientific examination to assess its potential. This included infrared (IR) spectroscopy conducted at the Smithsonian Institution's Department of Mineral Sciences using advanced equipment like the Thermo Scientific Nicolet 6700 FTIR spectrometer. The analysis confirmed it as a Type IIb diamond, with no detectable nitrogen and an uncompensated boron concentration of approximately 0.26 ± 0.04 ppm, responsible for its blue color. Additional tests revealed intense orange-red phosphorescence under short-wave UV light, lasting up to 20 seconds, with spectral peaks at 660 nm (dominant) and 500 nm. Birefringence imaging under crossed polarizers showed a "tatami" strain pattern with gray and blue interference colors, indicating internal stresses typical of such gems. No fluorescence was observed. These months-long studies, spanning from discovery to June 2014, were crucial for planning the cut to maximize color, size, and clarity while minimizing risks.
Cutting and Polishing
The cutting process, handled by Cora International in New York, took about six months and transformed the rough into a 12.03-carat cushion modified brilliant cut diamond (measuring 15.57 × 13.47 × 7.55 mm). This involved precise faceting to enhance brilliance and light return, incorporating a small culet facet to aid in flaw removal. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) graded it as Fancy Vivid Blue (the highest color saturation for blues) and Internally Flawless (IF), meaning no internal inclusions visible under 10x magnification.
The Breakthrough in Achieving Flawless Clarity
Achieving Internally Flawless clarity in the Blue Moon was a significant breakthrough because Type IIb blue diamonds, colored by boron, often feature structural weaknesses, inclusions, or uneven color distribution that make high-clarity cuts exceedingly difficult—especially in stones over 10 carats. Boron impurities can introduce defects that compromise the crystal lattice, leading to internal flaws that are hard to eliminate without sacrificing size or color intensity. Prior to this, large Fancy Vivid Blue diamonds rarely achieved IF clarity post-discovery, as the cutting process risked amplifying these issues or reducing the stone too much. The team at Cora International overcame these challenges through advanced examination techniques (like detailed spectroscopy and strain analysis) to map inclusions precisely, followed by skilled, risk-calculated faceting that removed imperfections while preserving the vivid hue and yielding a substantial 12.03-carat gem. This marked one of the first instances of a major blue diamond being cut to such perfection shortly after discovery, setting a new benchmark in gemology and contributing to its record-breaking auction sale in 2015.
The price of natural diamonds has been hit by the surge in demand for lab diamonds, but rare and historic natural diamonds, stll command super high prices. The Blue Moon diamond that originated in South Africa is a good example. Also known as the Blue Moon Of Josephine diamond. pic.twitter.com/NaLOHj6rUh
— Kaisilver (@jewelrythailand) March 8, 2025
2
The Cullinan Dream
2016 SOLD for $ 25.4M by Christie's
The Cullinan mine now owned by Petra Diamonds still remains the most regular purveyor of type IIb color diamonds, 10 to 20 times rarer than the IIa.
An extraordinary fancy intense blue gem weighing 122.52 carats was discovered at Cullinan in June 2014. The jewelers mapped with accuracy its internal crystalline regularity by using the semiconductor characteristics that are specific to the type IIb diamonds.
This non-destructive analysis enabled to optimize the cut. Four diamonds were produced. The Cullinan Dream is the biggest of the four. It is rectangular with cut corners and weighs 24.18 carats. Its clarity is VS2. It was sold for $ 25.4M by Christie's on June 9, 2016, lot 261.
This diamond is exceptional. Its fancy intense hue is much rarer than the fancy vivid blue. The Oppenheimer Blue, identified as the largest fancy vivid blue ever offered at auction, only weighed 14.62 carats. It was sold for CHF 57M by Christie's in 2016.
Its price of $ 1M per carat is consistent with results obtained on other blue diamonds. A fancy intense blue with a VVS2 clarity weighing 7.64 carats was sold for CHF 9M by Sotheby's on 11 May 2010.
The other highly rare variety of blue, the fancy deep blue, can reach a price per carat of the same level or even higher. The estimate by Sotheby's in April 2016 at $ 2.6M per carat for the diamond of Shirley Temple was nevertheless much exaggerated.
Full history of the Cullinan Dream diamond
The Cullinan Dream is a 24.18-carat fancy intense blue diamond, notable for its rarity as a Type IIb stone and its origin from South Africa's historic Cullinan mine. This mine, discovered in 1902 and originally known as the Premier Mine, gained global fame in 1905 with the unearthing of the 3,106.75-carat Cullinan rough—the largest gem-quality diamond ever found—which was later cut into multiple stones, including the Cullinan I (Star of Africa) and Cullinan II, now part of the British Crown Jewels. The mine has since produced other legendary diamonds, such as the 755-carat Golden Jubilee, the 599-carat De Beers Centenary, and the 507-carat Cullinan Heritage in 2009. Acquired by Petra Diamonds from De Beers in 2008, it remains the world's primary source of blue diamonds.
In June 2014, Petra Diamonds discovered a 122.52-carat blue rough diamond at the Cullinan mine. This exceptional Type IIb rough—characterized by boron impurities that impart its blue hue and electrical conductivity—was sold later that year for $23.5 million to an unnamed cutting and polishing partnership, with Petra retaining a 15% interest in the proceeds from the eventual sale of the polished stones (minus expenses).
A master gem cutter (identity not publicly disclosed) polished the rough into four blue diamonds: a 7.00-carat cushion-cut, a 10.30-carat radiant-cut, an 11.30-carat pear-shaped, and the 24.18-carat cut-cornered rectangular mixed-cut that became the Cullinan Dream. The largest of these, the Cullinan Dream, was graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) on February 26, 2016, as fancy intense blue color, VS2 clarity, with natural color distribution and no indications of treatment. As a Type IIb diamond, it belongs to an ultra-rare category (less than 0.5% of natural diamonds), often lacking the symmetrical crystal forms of more common Type Ia diamonds and exhibiting semi-conductive properties that influence cutting decisions for optimal color saturation. It was mounted in a platinum ring flanked by two tapered baguette-cut white diamonds totaling about 2.36 carats. The name "Cullinan Dream" reflects its "captivating and celestial beauty," evoking the mine's legacy while highlighting its ethereal blue tone.
On June 9, 2016, the Cullinan Dream was offered at Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction in New York, with a pre-sale estimate of $23 million to $29 million. It sold for $25.365 million to an anonymous buyer, setting auction records as the largest and most expensive fancy intense blue diamond ever sold. This price per carat equated to about $1.05 million, underscoring the premium for its size, intensity, and provenance. The sale was part of a vibrant 2016 auction season for colored diamonds, though it fell short of records set by vivid blue stones like the Oppenheimer Blue, which fetched $57.5 million earlier that year.
Since the 2016 auction, the Cullinan Dream has remained in private ownership, with no public records of resale, exhibition, or further provenance details available as of 2026. It continues to be referenced in lists of the world's most valuable blue diamonds, often ranking among the top 10 by price due to its historical significance and rarity.
An extraordinary fancy intense blue gem weighing 122.52 carats was discovered at Cullinan in June 2014. The jewelers mapped with accuracy its internal crystalline regularity by using the semiconductor characteristics that are specific to the type IIb diamonds.
This non-destructive analysis enabled to optimize the cut. Four diamonds were produced. The Cullinan Dream is the biggest of the four. It is rectangular with cut corners and weighs 24.18 carats. Its clarity is VS2. It was sold for $ 25.4M by Christie's on June 9, 2016, lot 261.
This diamond is exceptional. Its fancy intense hue is much rarer than the fancy vivid blue. The Oppenheimer Blue, identified as the largest fancy vivid blue ever offered at auction, only weighed 14.62 carats. It was sold for CHF 57M by Christie's in 2016.
Its price of $ 1M per carat is consistent with results obtained on other blue diamonds. A fancy intense blue with a VVS2 clarity weighing 7.64 carats was sold for CHF 9M by Sotheby's on 11 May 2010.
The other highly rare variety of blue, the fancy deep blue, can reach a price per carat of the same level or even higher. The estimate by Sotheby's in April 2016 at $ 2.6M per carat for the diamond of Shirley Temple was nevertheless much exaggerated.
Full history of the Cullinan Dream diamond
The Cullinan Dream is a 24.18-carat fancy intense blue diamond, notable for its rarity as a Type IIb stone and its origin from South Africa's historic Cullinan mine. This mine, discovered in 1902 and originally known as the Premier Mine, gained global fame in 1905 with the unearthing of the 3,106.75-carat Cullinan rough—the largest gem-quality diamond ever found—which was later cut into multiple stones, including the Cullinan I (Star of Africa) and Cullinan II, now part of the British Crown Jewels. The mine has since produced other legendary diamonds, such as the 755-carat Golden Jubilee, the 599-carat De Beers Centenary, and the 507-carat Cullinan Heritage in 2009. Acquired by Petra Diamonds from De Beers in 2008, it remains the world's primary source of blue diamonds.
In June 2014, Petra Diamonds discovered a 122.52-carat blue rough diamond at the Cullinan mine. This exceptional Type IIb rough—characterized by boron impurities that impart its blue hue and electrical conductivity—was sold later that year for $23.5 million to an unnamed cutting and polishing partnership, with Petra retaining a 15% interest in the proceeds from the eventual sale of the polished stones (minus expenses).
A master gem cutter (identity not publicly disclosed) polished the rough into four blue diamonds: a 7.00-carat cushion-cut, a 10.30-carat radiant-cut, an 11.30-carat pear-shaped, and the 24.18-carat cut-cornered rectangular mixed-cut that became the Cullinan Dream. The largest of these, the Cullinan Dream, was graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) on February 26, 2016, as fancy intense blue color, VS2 clarity, with natural color distribution and no indications of treatment. As a Type IIb diamond, it belongs to an ultra-rare category (less than 0.5% of natural diamonds), often lacking the symmetrical crystal forms of more common Type Ia diamonds and exhibiting semi-conductive properties that influence cutting decisions for optimal color saturation. It was mounted in a platinum ring flanked by two tapered baguette-cut white diamonds totaling about 2.36 carats. The name "Cullinan Dream" reflects its "captivating and celestial beauty," evoking the mine's legacy while highlighting its ethereal blue tone.
On June 9, 2016, the Cullinan Dream was offered at Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction in New York, with a pre-sale estimate of $23 million to $29 million. It sold for $25.365 million to an anonymous buyer, setting auction records as the largest and most expensive fancy intense blue diamond ever sold. This price per carat equated to about $1.05 million, underscoring the premium for its size, intensity, and provenance. The sale was part of a vibrant 2016 auction season for colored diamonds, though it fell short of records set by vivid blue stones like the Oppenheimer Blue, which fetched $57.5 million earlier that year.
Since the 2016 auction, the Cullinan Dream has remained in private ownership, with no public records of resale, exhibition, or further provenance details available as of 2026. It continues to be referenced in lists of the world's most valuable blue diamonds, often ranking among the top 10 by price due to its historical significance and rarity.
2014 Play-Doh by Koons
2018 SOLD for $ 23M by Christie's
The original artist is a toddler named Ludwig Koons. He plays to triturate Play-Doh multicolored modeling clay, a trademark of Hasbro. Posterity has forever retained this dialogue with his father : Ludwig: "Daddy !" Jeff: "What ?" Ludwig: "Voilà !".
The story takes place in 1994 when Jeff Koons is conceiving as a whole his series of Celebrations. Ludwig's achievement is a formless mound but composed of bright and varied colors. Jeff is not an abstract artist. It does not matter. He will justify the insertion of Play-Doh in his list of Celebrations by the fact that it is a toy that will remind for the visitor the happiness of childhood.
The expectation lasted until 2014 when Play-Doh was released in five copies with different color configurations according to the immutable process for this series. Composed of 27 painted aluminum plates, it measures 315 x 387 x 348 cm, slightly higher than the Balloon Dog.
The delay was long but Jeff Koons turns it to his advantage : it was necessary that the joining of the plates and the surface finish reach perfection. It is true that this surface simulating the impact of touch by the fingers of the toddler is the most complex of the Celebration series. An early trial in polyethylene had not given him satisfaction.
One of the five Play-Dohs was sold for $ 23M by Christie's on May 17, 2018, lot 12 B. Please watch the video shared by the auction house where the lot is discussed by Jeff Koons.
The story takes place in 1994 when Jeff Koons is conceiving as a whole his series of Celebrations. Ludwig's achievement is a formless mound but composed of bright and varied colors. Jeff is not an abstract artist. It does not matter. He will justify the insertion of Play-Doh in his list of Celebrations by the fact that it is a toy that will remind for the visitor the happiness of childhood.
The expectation lasted until 2014 when Play-Doh was released in five copies with different color configurations according to the immutable process for this series. Composed of 27 painted aluminum plates, it measures 315 x 387 x 348 cm, slightly higher than the Balloon Dog.
The delay was long but Jeff Koons turns it to his advantage : it was necessary that the joining of the plates and the surface finish reach perfection. It is true that this surface simulating the impact of touch by the fingers of the toddler is the most complex of the Celebration series. An early trial in polyethylene had not given him satisfaction.
One of the five Play-Dohs was sold for $ 23M by Christie's on May 17, 2018, lot 12 B. Please watch the video shared by the auction house where the lot is discussed by Jeff Koons.
2014 Vignette by Marshall
2019 SOLD for $ 18.5M by Sotheby's
Kerry James Marshall correctly considered that the social life of African Americans is underrepresented in a graphic art monopolized for centuries by white people. Vignette is the title for his theme of the happy love between a boy and a girl going about the joys of life uninhibited by white racism.
The couple is still in childhood in an early example painted in 2003. They race innocently in full nudity against one another in a private lawn closed by a fence, as in a run for freedom in a Garden of Eden. This acrylic on fiberglass 210 x 300 cm was sold for $ 540K by Sotheby's on November 15, 2007, lot 454.
Things are going to idyl with the Vignette # 6, painted in 2005. They share a bliss beside an Arcadian garden's stone wall on which the girl is seated. This acrylic on plexiglas 190 x 167 cm was sold for $ 7.5M by Sotheby's on May 13, 2024, lot 7.
The series of Vignettes closed in 2007 but restarted later. Painted in 2014 in a chromatic brilliance, the Vignette # 19 stages three times the now established couple, including one embracing. They are surrounded with love symbols including singing birds and the whole is delineated by a heart. This acrylic on PVC 182 x 162 cm was sold for $ 18.5M from a lower estimate of $ 6.5M by Sotheby's on November 14, 2019, lot 19.
The couple is still in childhood in an early example painted in 2003. They race innocently in full nudity against one another in a private lawn closed by a fence, as in a run for freedom in a Garden of Eden. This acrylic on fiberglass 210 x 300 cm was sold for $ 540K by Sotheby's on November 15, 2007, lot 454.
Things are going to idyl with the Vignette # 6, painted in 2005. They share a bliss beside an Arcadian garden's stone wall on which the girl is seated. This acrylic on plexiglas 190 x 167 cm was sold for $ 7.5M by Sotheby's on May 13, 2024, lot 7.
The series of Vignettes closed in 2007 but restarted later. Painted in 2014 in a chromatic brilliance, the Vignette # 19 stages three times the now established couple, including one embracing. They are surrounded with love symbols including singing birds and the whole is delineated by a heart. This acrylic on PVC 182 x 162 cm was sold for $ 18.5M from a lower estimate of $ 6.5M by Sotheby's on November 14, 2019, lot 19.
2014 Wish World Peace by Nara
2022 SOLD for HK$ 97M by Christie's
In a new phase, Nara's girl is only expressing hope against the human horrors of her time. The simple title is her speech, kindly told. She is so known now that her diabolic features or incongruous artifacts are no more necessary to appeal the viewer.
Wish World Peace is desperately simple. In her waiting attitude, the arms are not visible. The pupils of the eyes imperceptibly embed the 'Coexist' from the three monotheist religions and a Peace symbol.
This acrylic on canvas 194 x 162 cm painted in 2014 was sold for $ 2.3M by Sotheby's on November 17, 2016, lot 29 and for HK $ 97M by Christie's on May 26, 2022, lot 51.
Wish World Peace is desperately simple. In her waiting attitude, the arms are not visible. The pupils of the eyes imperceptibly embed the 'Coexist' from the three monotheist religions and a Peace symbol.
This acrylic on canvas 194 x 162 cm painted in 2014 was sold for $ 2.3M by Sotheby's on November 17, 2016, lot 29 and for HK $ 97M by Christie's on May 26, 2022, lot 51.
2014 Pagani Zonda 760 LM Roadster
2024 SOLD for $ 11M by RM Sotheby's
The mastery of engineering allows smaller car brands to reach the top level, provided that they apply a great care to all details in a limited production. Pagani and Koenigsegg are the best examples. The Pagani brand was created in 1992 by a former collaborator of Lamborghini who is a specialist in carbon fibers.
The Pagani Zonda was created in 1999 and the Huayra coupe replaced it in 2012. Each of these models has evolved over time through a practice of continuous improvement of the composite materials and of weight balancing. Packages were available for upgrading to more recent standard the previously delivered cars.
The Zonda R is a coupe for track only, made from 2009 to 2011 with a 6 litre 740 hp Mercedes-Benz V 12 racing engine.
A rival to the Ferrari FXX and to the Maserati MC12 Corsa, it targeted to be one of the fastest cars on the circuits. 4.70 m long with a 2.80 m wheelbase, it has a beautiful aerodynamical body. It claims the 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 375 km/h.
Made in 2010, a Zonda R was upgraded in 2014 by the factory to the Revolucion specifications with an engine uprated to 780 hp. It was sold for $ 5.3M by RM Sotheby's on March 4, 2023, lot 171.
Zonda is the historical model of the Pagani brand. To maintain an offering at the highest level of performance, the Huayra is unveiled in 2011 and the obsolescence of the Zonda is announced in 2013 with a final special edition, the Zonda Revolucion.
This is not the end of the Zondas because there are still chassis that can be used with customer specifications, each design for a single unit. These cars equipped with an AMG V-12 7.3 liter 749 hp engine constitute the Zonda 760 range. The most recent cars generally benefit from the technological innovations of the Huayra.
The Zonda LM roadster is a bespoke car built in 2014 with a body of lacquered bare carbon. It was sold for $ 11M by RM Sotheby's on December 1, 2024, lot 134. LM is the classical reference to Le Mans. This car has different headlights compared to the other Zondas, with a full cover similar to that of racing prototypes. At the rear its new spoiler is larger than the other 760s. Two rows of LEDs are added as additional brake lights at the rear.
Grok thought :
Quote
RM Sotheby's @rmsothebys Dec 1, 2024
SOLD! The 2014 Pagani Zonda LM Roadster sells for $11,086,250 USD at our Dubai sale. #RMDubai #RMSothebys #Pagani #Zonda #LM
The Pagani Zonda was created in 1999 and the Huayra coupe replaced it in 2012. Each of these models has evolved over time through a practice of continuous improvement of the composite materials and of weight balancing. Packages were available for upgrading to more recent standard the previously delivered cars.
The Zonda R is a coupe for track only, made from 2009 to 2011 with a 6 litre 740 hp Mercedes-Benz V 12 racing engine.
A rival to the Ferrari FXX and to the Maserati MC12 Corsa, it targeted to be one of the fastest cars on the circuits. 4.70 m long with a 2.80 m wheelbase, it has a beautiful aerodynamical body. It claims the 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 375 km/h.
Made in 2010, a Zonda R was upgraded in 2014 by the factory to the Revolucion specifications with an engine uprated to 780 hp. It was sold for $ 5.3M by RM Sotheby's on March 4, 2023, lot 171.
Zonda is the historical model of the Pagani brand. To maintain an offering at the highest level of performance, the Huayra is unveiled in 2011 and the obsolescence of the Zonda is announced in 2013 with a final special edition, the Zonda Revolucion.
This is not the end of the Zondas because there are still chassis that can be used with customer specifications, each design for a single unit. These cars equipped with an AMG V-12 7.3 liter 749 hp engine constitute the Zonda 760 range. The most recent cars generally benefit from the technological innovations of the Huayra.
The Zonda LM roadster is a bespoke car built in 2014 with a body of lacquered bare carbon. It was sold for $ 11M by RM Sotheby's on December 1, 2024, lot 134. LM is the classical reference to Le Mans. This car has different headlights compared to the other Zondas, with a full cover similar to that of racing prototypes. At the rear its new spoiler is larger than the other 760s. Two rows of LEDs are added as additional brake lights at the rear.
Grok thought :
Quote
RM Sotheby's @rmsothebys Dec 1, 2024
SOLD! The 2014 Pagani Zonda LM Roadster sells for $11,086,250 USD at our Dubai sale. #RMDubai #RMSothebys #Pagani #Zonda #LM
- This post celebrates the record-breaking $11.086 million sale of a one-off 2014 Pagani Zonda 760 LM Roadster—one of only five LM variants ever built—at RM Sotheby's Dubai auction, underscoring the Zonda's enduring appeal as Horacio Pagani's first hypercar masterpiece with just 140 units produced total.
- The video clip vividly depicts the auction's climax, with bids surging from $6 million to $9.85 million in under 30 seconds amid a packed room, illustrating how rarity and Middle Eastern collector demand drove the price 50% above estimates.
- Replies reveal polarized views on such extravagance, from admiration for the car's engineering (7.3-liter V12, 760 hp) to skepticism about affordability, mirroring a 2024 collector market where Zonda values rose 20% year-over-year per Hagerty data.
2014 Pie Fight Interior by Ghenie
2022 SOLD for HK$ 81M by Christie's
While the world was trending to the financial crisis and the rise of Fascism and Nazism, US movie-goers enjoyed pie fights. The most spectacular was staged outdoors in 1927 by Hal Roach as a short movie titled The Battle of the Century Pie Fight starring Laurel and Hardy.
This contrast between laugh riot and the social disasters of the time appealed Ghenie, who preferred referring to a 1941 film titled In the Sweet Pie and Pie starring the Three Stooges. Ghenie is a lifelong fan of the great disturbers such as Hitchcock and Lynch. It is no doubt that the soiled faces perfectly match Ghenie's style inspired from Bacon of blurring the faces, in a fancy that missed to Bacon.
After a first series in 2008-2009, the Pie Fight Interior set was executed by Ghenie between 2012 and 2014. The monumental opus 12, painted in 2014, features an actress in a bright yellow dress, alone on stage in front of an apocalyptic landscape, wiping her face with her hands after receiving a cream pie.
This oil on canvas 284 x 350 cm was sold for HK $ 81M from a lower estimate of HK $ 68M by Christie's on May 26, 2022, lot 8A.
The opus 11 is kept at the Centre Georges Ponpidou.
This contrast between laugh riot and the social disasters of the time appealed Ghenie, who preferred referring to a 1941 film titled In the Sweet Pie and Pie starring the Three Stooges. Ghenie is a lifelong fan of the great disturbers such as Hitchcock and Lynch. It is no doubt that the soiled faces perfectly match Ghenie's style inspired from Bacon of blurring the faces, in a fancy that missed to Bacon.
After a first series in 2008-2009, the Pie Fight Interior set was executed by Ghenie between 2012 and 2014. The monumental opus 12, painted in 2014, features an actress in a bright yellow dress, alone on stage in front of an apocalyptic landscape, wiping her face with her hands after receiving a cream pie.
This oil on canvas 284 x 350 cm was sold for HK $ 81M from a lower estimate of HK $ 68M by Christie's on May 26, 2022, lot 8A.
The opus 11 is kept at the Centre Georges Ponpidou.
2014 Circus - Face by Grotjahn
2022 SOLD for $ 9.8M by Phillips
In the signature abstraction style of Grotjahn's Face series, the swirling lines in thick impasto in Untitled (Circus No. 12 Face 44.30) create the illusion of a rotation that may be compared with Seurat's figurative Le Cirque.
This oil on cardboard mounted on linen 260 x 187 cm executed in 2014 was sold for $ 9.8M from a lower estimate of $ 8M by Phillips on November 15, 2022, lot 16.
This oil on cardboard mounted on linen 260 x 187 cm executed in 2014 was sold for $ 9.8M from a lower estimate of $ 8M by Phillips on November 15, 2022, lot 16.
2014 Lamborghini Veneno
2019 SOLD for CHF 8.3M by Bonhams
Since 1966 Lamborghini attribute emblematic names of bullfighting to their models : owners, breeds, equipment, exceptional animals, but excluding the toreros.
In 1879 Murcielago was spared after resisting 24 sword blows. Aventador was highlighted and even awarded for his courage in the arena in 1993.
Launched in 2011, the Lamborghini Aventador was a great success. This model managed to conciliate an extreme performance, with a top speed of 350 km/h, and mass production, 5,000 vehicles in the first five years.
On August 2, 1914 in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Veneno destroyed a young novillero by a powerful blow in the head.
Derived mainly from the Aventador and remaining homologated for the road, the Lamborghini Veneno marks nevertheless a breakthrough for the brand by integrating competition technologies for the first time. The priority given to airflow and downforce had a significant impact on the shape of the body, possibly at the expense of aesthetics.
The Lamborghini Veneno is one of the most exclusive models of the brand. The coupe was produced in 2013 in a prototype and three commercial units that had been sold before the announcement of the launch, a common practice for limited series of hypercars. Satisfied with this operation, Lamborghini manufacture a Veneno roadster in nine units in 2014.
Published after the sales, the ex factory price of the coupe was $ 4M. The roadster was worth € 3.3M excluding taxes. Customers who are frustrated at not being selected pay sometimes a higher price when one of these vehicles becomes available on second hand.
On September 29, 2019, Bonhams sold for CHF 8.3M from a lower estimate of CHF 5.2M a Veneno roadster with 325 km from new, lot 20.
A 2015 Veneno roadster with 1,780 km from new passed at SBX Cars on May 9, 2024, lot 19, and was privately sold afterward for $ 6M.
In 1879 Murcielago was spared after resisting 24 sword blows. Aventador was highlighted and even awarded for his courage in the arena in 1993.
Launched in 2011, the Lamborghini Aventador was a great success. This model managed to conciliate an extreme performance, with a top speed of 350 km/h, and mass production, 5,000 vehicles in the first five years.
On August 2, 1914 in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Veneno destroyed a young novillero by a powerful blow in the head.
Derived mainly from the Aventador and remaining homologated for the road, the Lamborghini Veneno marks nevertheless a breakthrough for the brand by integrating competition technologies for the first time. The priority given to airflow and downforce had a significant impact on the shape of the body, possibly at the expense of aesthetics.
The Lamborghini Veneno is one of the most exclusive models of the brand. The coupe was produced in 2013 in a prototype and three commercial units that had been sold before the announcement of the launch, a common practice for limited series of hypercars. Satisfied with this operation, Lamborghini manufacture a Veneno roadster in nine units in 2014.
Published after the sales, the ex factory price of the coupe was $ 4M. The roadster was worth € 3.3M excluding taxes. Customers who are frustrated at not being selected pay sometimes a higher price when one of these vehicles becomes available on second hand.
On September 29, 2019, Bonhams sold for CHF 8.3M from a lower estimate of CHF 5.2M a Veneno roadster with 325 km from new, lot 20.
A 2015 Veneno roadster with 1,780 km from new passed at SBX Cars on May 9, 2024, lot 19, and was privately sold afterward for $ 6M.
2014 A Flower by Kusama
2023 SOLD for HK$ 78M by Christie's
The flowers had been the theme of Yayoi Kusama's hallucinations from when she was 10 years old. They represent life and death. In red or purple, the blossom heads represent a joyous vitality.
A Flower, acrylic on canvas 162 x 162 cm, was painted in 2014 when the artist was 85 years old. It displays in full front the violet petals of a dahlia head plus the top of the stem and a leaf. The well centered composition over an infinite background of polka dots reminds the paintings of pumpkins of the period.
It was sold for HK $ 78M from a lower estimate of HK $ 65M by Christie's on November 28, 2023, lot 15.
A Flower, acrylic on canvas 162 x 162 cm, was painted in 2014 when the artist was 85 years old. It displays in full front the violet petals of a dahlia head plus the top of the stem and a leaf. The well centered composition over an infinite background of polka dots reminds the paintings of pumpkins of the period.
It was sold for HK $ 78M from a lower estimate of HK $ 65M by Christie's on November 28, 2023, lot 15.
