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Wednesday, 26 January 2011 04:26

Warhol Portrait, Koons Bears to Boost $116 Million London Sales

A 1967 silkscreen self-portrait by Andy Warhol is estimated to sell for between 3 million pounds and 5 million pounds in a contemporary-art auction at Christie's International in London on Feb. 16, 2011. The 6-foot-high painting is entered from the estate of a U.S. collector and has never been offered at auction before. A 1967 silkscreen self-portrait by Andy Warhol is estimated to sell for between 3 million pounds and 5 million pounds in a contemporary-art auction at Christie's International in London on Feb. 16, 2011. The 6-foot-high painting is entered from the estate of a U.S. collector and has never been offered at auction before. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2011 via Bloomberg.

Self-portraits by Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat will star in contemporary-art auctions in London set to raise at least 72.5 million pounds ($116 million).

A pair of Jeff Koons bear sculptures, a Gerhard Richter abstract and a pile of Ai Weiwei porcelain flower seeds are also among lots in the evening mixed-owner sales starting Feb. 15. The total minimum estimates are 14 percent higher than in 2010.

Sotheby’s, Christie’s International and Phillips de Pury & Co.’s sales come as contemporary-art dealers look for price rises. Worldwide auctions slumped more than 50 percent in 2009. The once-booming market is still recovering, according to the French-based data company Artprice.

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