For those following the antiquities market closely, the name Sheikh Saud Al-Thani of Qatar has become synonomous with "paying whatever it takes" to acquire any object that caught his eye. The second cousin of the ruling Emir of Qatar, one of the richest of all arab oil-producing countries, Al-Thani has been a force in the art market for the past several years as he went about his task of ambitiously buying inventory for a five new museums being contructed in Doha. He reportedly had a budget of $2-billion to acquire art.
He bought in many areas of art, but seemed to have a fondness for antiquities, especially Egyptian objects -- much to the dismay of dealers and collectors who tried to compete against him. In June, 2002, he bought The Jenkins Venus, a Roman marble statue from Newby Hall near Ripon, North Yorkshire, for £7,926,650 - the highest price paid at auction for any antiquity. A few months later, he was rumoured to be the man behind Paddle #64 who bought all but five of the first 141 lots of Egyptian antiquities at a London auction. His presence was felt at auctions and art events in New York, London, and throughout Europe. Now he reportedly sits under house arrest, for allegedly misuing public funds.
The Art Newspaper was among the first outlets to break the news which is sending waves through the art world. Click for The Art Newspaper story and The New York Times (registration may be required) article.
Hi,
I have a antique statuette of sumerian era and would like to sell it to someone who could be interested.
Posted by: Michel | September 05, 2009 at 01:59 AM