Buddha statue fetches millions
A buff sandstone figure of Buddha from a private Swiss museum has fetched SFr5 million ($5 million) at an auction in New York.
The statue – one of 14 objects from the Coninx Collection to be sold off, is considered the most important Buddhist sculpture worldwide to be auctioned.
The price is seven times the estimate, according to Christie’s auction house.
Critics said the sale is in breach the foundation’s principles, but the board said the money is needed to pay for the ongoing renovation of the Zurich-based museum.
The Coninx Museum’s Collection is among the most comprehensive private art collections in Switzerland.
It combines thousands of paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints, assembled by Werner Coninx between 1945 and 1980.
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