The auction house said the collection went for twice as much as the original estimate.
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"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry "asked for a really big gun, " the auction house said.
More than a quarter of the online bidders were new to the auction house.
The auction house is keen to head off any notion that the sale might not succeed.
Christopher Davidge, former Christie's CEO, says the auction house price-fixing scheme was Taubman's idea.
She claims two letters sent to the auction house from U2 lawyers seeking their return were defamatory.
The painting was sold by Buhler's daughter, the auction house said without identifying the seller by name.
For the matrons of New York's Madison Avenue, Saturday afternoon at the auction house replaced the Broadway matinee.
The ring is from the collection of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie, according to the auction house.
The auction house courted buyers for months, even sending 14 of the works to New Delhi for exhibition.
Nevertheless, its record-breaking, headline grabbing sales of the late have been a double-edged sword for the auction house.
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Last year the auction house sold a collection of Gandhi material, including his glasses and prayer book.
But will the Auction House be able to put up a fight against the inevitable third party market?
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The auction house said the price paid for the 110.03-carat gem set a world auction record for yellow diamonds.
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The auction house has tried to leave as little as possible to chance.
These sorts of guarantees are used frequently to entice the owners of particularly high-priced works to the auction house.
The auction house hopes to capitalize on the region's resource riches and its recent investment in art and culture.
The vase was discovered by Rodney Tennant, from the auction house, during a routine house call to value the contents.
Shares in the auction house Sotheby's have plummeted, following allegations of price fixing and the resignation of two top managers.
Overall, 54 of the sale's 59 offerings found buyers, helping the auction house achieve a healthy 95.5% of its potential value.
The ring was described as modest by the auction house from someone who had not yet acquired great wealth and power.
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It had been expected to be auctioned in Miami later but the auction house told the BBC the sale was halted.
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The auction house did not identify the dress' previous owner, who purchased the garment at Sotheby's in New York in 1989.
The auction house has seating for about 150 people, and can hold an estimated 500 people for standing-room crowds, he said.
Simon de Pury, the charismatic chairman of Phillips de Pury, is leaving the auction house after twelve years at the helm.
The auction house said this would mean an increase of 2% or less for 98% of buyers on the final purchase price.
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"The catalogs have been flying out the window, " notes Francis Wahlgren , head of the auction house's printed books and manuscripts department.
Although the auction house took a loss, at least the picture sold.
Kobe even accused his mother and the auction house of obtaining possession of items that he had in his house, without his knowledge.
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Nine other of Diana's dresses were sold to bidders, which came from around the world and included three museums, the auction house said.
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