Eye of the Beholder: "Hideous" Gargoyle Statue Brings Big Money at Auction

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder after a "hideous" gargoyle statue recently sold at auction for a record-setting £66,000 ($105,000 US).

Despite the statue's grotesque appearance, people fought to obtain the unique objet d'art when it hit the auction block this week at the Wooley & Wallis auction house in Salisbury, England. The statue was created by the prestigious pottery manufacturers the Martin Brothers circa the turn on the 20th Century. 

The figure depicts a squat, smiling gargoyle holding onto its ample chest with gnarled fingers, with a beaming smile on its porcine like face. Auctioneers attribute the record sum paid for the figurine to the upcoming release of the new film The Hobbit, the prequel to the Lord of the Rings saga based on the classic books of J.R.R. Tolkien. 

 Gargoyles first began appearing over 2000 years ago, originating in Ancient Greece and Egypt. They became popular cathedral and building adornments during the Middle Ages, as they were used to decorate buildings and to provide a spout for rainwater to drain. They also became popular as a good-luck charm, as many people believed that placing gargoyles atop structures would help keep evil spirits at bay.

  

Founding Father: Book Belonging to George Washington Sells for Eight Figures

A book once belonging to American president George Washington sold at Christie's Auction House in New York City for almost $10 million.

The book, titled The Acts of Congress, was printed in 1789 and contains Washington's annotated copy of the American Constitution, a draft of the Bill of Rights, as well as handwritten notes in the margins and his signature and family crest on the title page.

A fierce bidding war commenced at Christie's between two unidentified parties, but ultimately the winning bid of $9,826,500 was offered by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, which owns and runs Washington's historic Mount Vernon estate in Virginia.

The book remained at Mount Vernon until 1876, when it was sold by Washington's nephew Lawrence for only $13, around $300 in today's money. It at one time belonged to publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst— who Orson Wells used for the basis of his classic film Citizen Kane.

The amount is one of the highest ever paid for a bound manuscript. The book is expected to be returned home to Mount Vernon by the Association.

All The President's Blood: Vial Containing Ronald Reagan's Blood for Sale

A five-inch vial that once contained a blood sample of former US President Ronald Reagan is set to hit the auction block, and the bidding is already up to over $5000!

The sample was taken from Reagan at the George Washington University Hospital after an assassination attempt by disturbed Jodie Foster fan John Hinkley, Jr. in 1981. According to online auction site PFC, the vial still contains “dried blood residue from President Reagan" with the president's DNA. Accompanying the vial in the sale is lab work papers from the hospital as part of the item's provenance.

The sample belonged at one time to a relative of the laboratory technician who analyzed the blood after the assassination attempt. The mysterious owner of the vial held onto it over the decades and recently informed officials at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California of its existence.

The owner of the vial eventually received permission to sell the blood vial after the National Archives declined to purchase the sample. Bids will be accepted on the item through this Thursday.

Out of the Park: Babe Ruth Baseball Jersey Fetches Record Amount

A sports jersey worn by baseball great Babe Ruth has brought in a record amount at auction, a staggering $4.4 million.

The slightly stained jersey once belonging to "The Sultan of Swat" was worn by the legend during his stint with the New York Yankees between the years 1920 through 1934. The gray jersey features New York on the front of the shirt in bright blue lettering, with his initials Ruth, G.H. (George Herman) in pink script on the inside neckline.

The record auction amount is the highest sale price for a piece of sports memorabilia since the original "Rules of Basketball" written by Dr. James Naismith—who created the  sport in 1891—sold at Sotheby's auction house for $4.3 million in 2010.

The person behind the winning bid for the Ruth jersey has elected to remain anonymous, SCP Auctions, who handled the sale, told the media.

In addition to Ruth's jersey hitting the auction block, the Hall of Famer’s former Massachusetts home has a For Sale sign out front as well. The asking price for the 5,124 square foot home in Sudbury, Massachusetts, is a relatively modest $1.6M.

Ruth died in 1948 at the age of 53. 

Rosebud: Orson Welles' Oscar Sells for $900,000

The Oscar trophy that was awarded to actor and director Orson Welles was sold at auction today, fetching almost $900,000.

The award was presented to the super-talented Welles for Best Original Screenplay in 1941 for the classic film Citizen Kane, widely regarded by critics as the greatest movie of all time. Welles was only twenty-five-years-old when he achieved amazing success with his very first feature film, which was loosely based on the life and exploits of multi-millionaire publisher William Randolph Hearst. The powerful tycoon refused to mention the film in any of his newspapers around the world and successfully managed to blacklist the actor, which harmed his career for many decades.

The Academy of Motion Pictures has always frowned upon anyone selling their award, and fought to ensure that Welles' Oscar was not sold. However, a judge ruled in 2004 that Welles had never signed the Academy's stringent agreement never to sell the trophy, which allowed for today's sale to take place. The auction house responsible for the sale declined to reveal any more information about who purchased the trophy.

Drawn This Way: Tony Bennett's Sketch of Lady GaGa to Sell for Top $$$

"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn this way. By Tony Bennett, no less..."

Lady GaGa might be quoting Jessica Rabbit's classic line in the cartoon Who Framed Roger Rabbit? "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn this way," after the legendary crooner Tony Bennett sketched a nude drawing of the superstar singer, which is now for sale on eBay!

The 85-year-old "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" singer is also a highly talented and successful artist as well as an avid art collector, with a collection worth millions of dollars. The unlikely duo met when Bennett filmed a cameo appearance on Lady GaGa's recent Thanksgiving Day special that aired on CBS. The two recorded a rendition of the standard "The Lady Is a Tramp", made popular by both Bennett and Frank Sinatra. GaGa (real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta), 25, spoke recently about posing in the nude for Bennett. "I walked in and said "Well Tony here we are," and I dropped my robe and I got into position. I felt shy and thought “It’s Tony Bennett, why am I naked?"

The starting bid for the original charcoal etching starts at $5000 on online auction site eBay. Also included in the package is a photograph taken by the famed fashion photographer Annie Leibovitz. All proceeds from the sale will go to Exploring the Arts, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Bennett and his wife Susan Benedetto, which strengthens the role of the arts in public high school education.  Money raised will also benefit Lady Gaga's youth support charity the Born This Way Foundation.

The auction closes on Monday, December 19.