New York, USA - THE requirement of a UK export licence having been deemed unnecessary on account of it being Victorian, that old stone cross shaft turns out not to have been sold by Wace at the BADA fair for £300,000 to a US institution (as reported in SalvoNEWS at Christmas).

Instead it has been transported over the pond to Sotheby's New York where it will go under the hammer on the 9th June in a Sotheby's antiquities sale, captioned 'A GRANITE CROSS SHAFT, ANGLO-SAXON, CIRCA 8TH CENTURY A.D., OR LATER (ANGLO-SAXON REVIVAL)' with a decidely 19th century price tag of $30k-$50k. The provenance has firmed up and is now 'from Gailey, Staffordshire, acquired at auction in Norfolk, November 16th, 2001' so presumably still owned by Mr. Wace. We will bring you the result when we know it.

Sothebys NY 9 June 2004, lot 484: A granite cross shaft

Story Type:  News

ID: 11753