NEW YORK, 13 March 2021 – Moments ago in our New York saleroom, a specialty lot comprising a one-of-a-kind bottle of 1967 whisky from The Macallan Anecdotes of Ages Collection created in collaboration with the globally renowned British pop artist, Sir Peter Blake achieved $437,500.
Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Sotheby’s Wine, said: “Sotheby’s Wine and The Macallan have had a longstanding relationship for many years, and it has been a privilege to sell some of the brand’s most iconic and sought-after bottles – with the A New Era of Advertising bottle now joining this illustrious group. In addition to the proceeds from the sale of The Macallan benefitting the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s diversity, equity, access and inclusion initiatives, we were pleased to help raise funds for both the Shawn Carter Foundation, and the Asian American Business Development Center via two other outstanding lots: the D’USSÉ® 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition Grande Champagne Cognac and Hennessy X.O x Frank Gehry Masterpiece Decanter. It was exciting to see the worlds of art, design, and rare spirits come together through these exceptional bottles, and we look forward to continuing to present collectors with more superlative spirits through distillery collaborations throughout our 2021 auctions.”
Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, remarked: “We are thrilled with the results achieved for the three exceptional charitable lots presented today in our first dedicated Spirits sale in New York. Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a staggering increase in demand for prized, rare whiskies – and the strong prices realized during today’s sale are a perfect illustration of this rapidly growing trend. With opportunities to gather again in-person with friends and family slowly becoming more frequent, now more than ever we are seeing collectors acquire special bottles from some of the world’s most celebrated spirits producers, in hopes of sharing them with loved ones in the near future. And it was our pleasure to present these extraordinary bottles to collectors worldwide through today’s auction.”
One-Of-A-Kind Original Bottle of 1967 Whisky from The Macallan’s Anecdotes of Ages Collection
Receiving 49 bids in advance of today’s live sale, A New Era of Advertising bottle is one of only 13 original bottles from this newly-launched whisky and art collection, and was offered alongside a print donated by Sir Peter Blake as well as a bespoke VIP experience at The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland. Proceeds of this sale will benefit the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s diversity, equity, access and inclusion initiatives, with the objective to increase both free access and outreach to a variety of diverse audiences within the New York metropolitan area. Audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy free admission to the Guggenheim Museum on select Saturdays through a new initiative, ‘Saturday on the House’.
Igor Boyadjian, Managing Director for The Macallan, said: “The Macallan Anecdotes of Ages Collection is an extraordinary art and whisky collaboration with globally renowned British pop artist, Sir Peter Blake that celebrates The Macallan’s rich legacy and Sir Peter Blake’s remarkable contribution to the art world.
“At The Macallan, community is a constant guiding principle and mindset at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to have partnered with Sotheby’s New York to auction this one-of-a-kind bottle of exceptional 1967 whisky, featuring original Sir Peter Blake collage art on the label, in support of the Solomon R. Guggenheim’s diversity, equity, access and inclusion initiatives. The funds from the auction will increase free access and develop engagement with a variety of audiences, and will support ‘Saturday on the House’, an opportunity for visitors to enjoy free admission to the Guggenheim Museum in New York on select Saturdays.”
About Sotheby’s
Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Interiors, among many others.
Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits totaled an outstanding $92 million in 2020, with over 15,000 lots sold across 41 sales – a nearly 50% increase in the number of auctions held in 2019. Over $60 million of wine and spirits were sold to online bidders in 2020 versus $28 million in 2019, with 85% of all lots offered finding online buyers. Demonstrating continued strength in Asia, Sotheby’s led the market in the region for the third consecutive year, with over 70% of the total bid amount in all Wine and Spirits sales attributed to collectors in Asia.
Sotheby’s Wine’s has had the privilege of auctioning numerous record-breaking wines and spirits in recent years, with 2020 alone witnessing new world auction records for any bottle of Japanese whisky, any bottle of whisky produced by the Dalmore Distillery, as well as any bottle of Cognac. Sotheby’s Wine currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most expensive bottle of spirits ever sold at auction.
In addition to auction, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.
