Niniko Morbedadze Leads Bonhams $257,800 'Georgian Art Now' Auction

A work by Niniko Morbedadze was the headline sale at Bonhams 'Georgian Art Now' auction on May 29.

• The sale totaled $257,800 (GBP191,600), falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 27 works sold totaling $257,800.
• Estimates totaled: $265,200 (low) and $324,600 (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 64% of the original 42 lots announced.

The star lot was: Niniko Morbedadze, Man was walking on the road (2015), which sold for $29,300, 119% above its $13,300 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 119% above its low estimate. Niniko Morbedadze, Man was walking on the road (2015), sold for $29,300 ($13,300 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 22 works, or 81%, sold above their high estimate.
• 4 works, or 15%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 1 works, or 4%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

15 works were bought-in, including: Rusudan Petviashvili, Happiness of safety (2024), estimated at $26,600 (low) to $33,300 (high). It has been traded once in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn

Terms and definitions

All results include the fees and premiums added to the price of a work of art when the auctioneer's hammer falls. Estimates, sale prices and totals are converted into US dollars. Sale prices are compared to the auction house’s low estimate, which do not include premiums.

Guarantees: Sometimes an auction house guarantees to pay a seller for a work, regardless of whether the bidding reaches the reserve price, a figure that is typically confidential.

Bought-in: If there are no bids for a work, or if bidding falls short of the reserve price, the lot is unsold or “bought-in”.

Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.

Premiums: Typically a sliding-scale of charges paid in addition to the hammer price by the buyer, plus any other fees.