Mohammed Melehi Leads Sotheby's $1.7m 'Modern & Contemporary African Art' Auction in London

A work by Mohammed Melehi was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Modern & Contemporary African Art' auction on March 21 in London.

• The sale totaled $1.7m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 67 works sold totaling $1.7m.
• Estimates totaled: $2.08m (low) and $3.05m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 69% of the original 97 lots announced.

The star lot was: Mohammed Melehi, Mirage (1983), which sold for $162,400, 82% above its $88,900 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.

The outperformer sold for 350% above its low estimate. Slawn, Alara, Ajero and Orangun (2023), sold for $40,600 ($8,888 low estimate).

• 24 works, or 36%, sold above their high estimate.
• 34 works, or 51%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 9 works, or 13%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

26 works were bought-in, including: Alexis Preller, Portrait of the Artist as a Visionary (1972), estimated at $253,900 (low) to $380,900 (high). It has been traded 4 times in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

4 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Kudzanai Chiurai, Kudzanai Chiurai, LOOK MOM, NO HANDS , 2011 (2011) estimated at $19,000 (low) to $25,400 (high).

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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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