Greek artifacts sold despite minister’s appeal
Hundreds of heirlooms once owned by the former Greek royal family sold Wednesday for $14 million, Christie’s auction house said, despite appeals from the government in Athens to halt the sale.
The most expensive item on the first day of a two-day auction was a pair of massive silver Victorian pilgrim flasks, which sold for $1.1 million, the London-based auction house said in a statement. The sale continues today.
Greek Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis said he wrote to Christie’s on Monday urging the auction house not sell the artifacts -- more than 850 items that originally belonged to King George I of Greece -- saying they may have been illegally exported from Greece.
However, Christie’s said it received no letter and saw no reason for the sale not to go ahead. It did not identify the seller.
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