Bidding on the 1,414 lots began at noon on February 26 and lasted until almost midnight

Antique-auction house Gelos "announces the successful completion Auction Year . At the auction, was submitted to the full range of ancient art: painting, silver, jewelry, coins, icons, weapons and much more. Intense bidding on 1,414 lots began at noon on February 26 and lasted until almost midnight.

Bidding for the top lot - a letter to Napoleon Bonaparte to his wife Josephine, went on record time. About fifteen minutes wishing to buy the lot were fighting for the right to possess a surprising rarity. The results of the auction surpassed the expectations of experts. The auction house planned to get for this lot 3,5 million rubles. However, the letter of Napoleon went under the hammer for 4,000,000.

Recall that this letter was written June 8, 1796, when Napoleon (then commander of the French army in the Italian campaign) was found in Milan the head of his troops.

Cloth Konstantin Makovsky «Portrait of a Girl a hat with an ostrich feather "(1879) went under the hammer for 10 million rubles.

« Compared to the previous year's auctions, held in February 2010, the number of sales in current trading has grown by 37 percent. This result indicates that in the post-crisis period antiques, is one of the most reliable means of investing, "- said the director of auction house Gelos Valery Bondarenko.

icon "St. Nicholas". The beginning of the twentieth century. Moscow Result: 3 million rubles

surprise for all the trades were under Russian icons. Organizers expect the best results from the sale of a unique icon "Holy Family" of the late XIX century from a family of "Chocolate Kings" Kudryavtsev. However, the price of the icon "St. Nicholas" in a silver frame with enamel during the bidding has tripled, as a result of the new owner paid for it 3 million rubles. However, the sale of the icon "The Holy Family" should also recognize the successful: Estimé 1 million rubles, the final result was 2,4 million rubles.

Tea-coffee service in the Empire style of the 10 subjects 1825. St. Petersburg Result: 1,95 million rubles

Another lot surpassed organizers' expectations - silver service in the Empire style of the ten items, the result almost reached the bar of 2 million rubles. Service was made in 1825 by Carl Heine, who worked at the St. Petersburg workshop of Samuel Eberlein.

Past auction buyers remembered another important event. At the auction, was drawn on the account millionth Lot "Gelos": a wedding a couple of icons, "Lord Almighty" and "The Virgin" Soothe My Sorrows, "" moved to a new owner who paid 500 thousand rubles. Won her party was released from 20%buyer's premium (buyer's premium).

«Gelos" holds auctions every week. The next big auction will be held next month. However, already on March 11 will be an extraordinary auction on the auction of the year. It will highlight items not sold at auction on Feb. 26.

Source: post-release Auction House "Gelos»