LONDON.- All of the 414 lots in the impressive collection of paintings, antiques, sculptures and objets d’art that belonged to the late Walid Juffali, the Saudi billionaire, sold at auction today [26 March, 2018] onsite at the Juffali home, Bishopsgate House, Surrey. The sale – which lasted a marathon 10-and-a-half-hours – achieved a total of £7,144,138 with 100% sold by lot and 100% sold by value.

The top lot was a pair of Fernando Botero’s monumental bronze sculptures Adam and Eve which achieved £2,048,750, after eight bidders battled it out on the phones. The pair was estimated at £600,000-800,000. Botero has developed a unique style – coined Boterismo – that draws inspiration from traditions in Latin American Folk Art, as well as the dense shapes and bold movements of European Baroque Art. His other sculptures Reclining Nude (2003) sold for an impressive £1,088,750 while Reclining Nude (1993) made £788,750.

Works by Dale Chihuly also performed extremely well. His spectacular – and vast – glass chandelier sold for £75,000 together with Float Boat, 2005, a glass work previously exhibited in Kew Gardens, which sold for £87,500.

Among the highlights were works that far exceeded their estimate:

• Conrad Kiesel, The Mandolin Player sold for £106,250 after an estimate of £40,000-60,000

• Another highlight was Marcello Lo Giudice, Red/Rosso, 2011 estimated at £7,000-10,000 but went for a staggering £81,250

• Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica 225-piece dinner service sold for £93,750 against an estimate of £20,000 – 30,000

• Philip Hermogenes Calderon’s work Joyous Summer, 1882, achieved £68,750

• Joan Miró, Equinoxe, 1967, sold for £81,250 after being estimated at £40,000-60,000.

• Lynn Chadwick Maquette V Walking Couple, sold for £47,500

Bonhams Head of House Sales, Charlie Thomas, commented: “Fernando Botero is undoubtedly one of the great figures of Latin American Art and we are delighted to have offered three of his sculptures as part of the Walid Juffali Collection sale at Bishopsgate House. The prices achieved today were impressive across the board, the wide range of exquisite works of art and furniture attracted bidders from across the globe. We were thrilled to be able to offer such an astounding range of lots, and are pleased that so many found keen new owners."

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.