Antiques: Roman Imperial sculpture auction in New York 

Des O'Sullivan previews the sale of a collection that features 900 valuable pieces

A marble torso of a Roman emperor, probably representing Augustus, Tiberius or Claudius, at Sotheby's.

A series of auctions from an amazing single-owner collection, including the most important Roman Imperial sculpture at auction in over a decade, will kick off at Sotheby’s in New York in October. 

Assembled over decades, it encompasses more than 900 works ranging from Roman Imperial marble, Old Master paintings, ancient Asian ceramics, Islamic court carpets, Royal French furniture, Impressionist masterworks and 20th-century design.

Probably representing Augustus, Tiberius, or Claudius, the commanding Roman sculpture, complete with upper-body armour, is estimated at $8m-$12m (€6.92m-€10.38m). 

A marble torso of a Roman Emperor probably representing Augustus, Tiberius or Claudius.

In one of this collector’s residences, it stands in a room that holds Richard Avedon’s revered portrait of Marilyn Monroe.

Four Savonnerie carpets commissioned by Louis XIV for the Grande Galerie of the Louvre lie beneath furniture that once belonged to Marie Antoinette. Art includes masterworks by Canaletto, Degas, Fragonard, Guardi and Picasso.

Works from a private collection, expected to realise more than $60 million (€51.9 million), will be displayed across four floors of Sotheby’s new HQ at the Breuer building in New York from October 17-22.

A c1700 Louis XIV giltwood frame at Sotheby's.

There will be four New York sales on October 21, 22 and 23, with further lots at the Modern evening auction in New York in November. Prized and precious objects from a mosaic of civilisations will continue to feature at 22 sales in New York and Paris into 2027.