FX.co ★ Five most unusual lots sold under the hammer last year

Michael Jordan’s sneakers

Air Jordan 13 sneakers were the most unusual lot at Sotheby's auction last year. They were worn by Michael Jordan in the 1997–98 NBA season. They became a symbol of the triumph of the famous basketball player. In that historic season, playing against Utah, Michael Jordan made a decisive shot in the last moments of the match, which brought the Chicago Bulls victory. The legendary pair was sold for $2.2 million, breaking the previous record held by rapper Ye’s sneakers, the Nike Air Yeezy. They went under the hammer for $1.8 million.

Inverted Jenny

In 1918, a unique collection of stamps featuring the Jenny airplane was created to commemorate the launch of the US first permanent air mail. However, one batch of stamps was defective. The image of the airplane was upside down. Most (400 pieces) of these stamps were destroyed, but 100 of them were sold and then hunted by collectors. One of these rare stamps was sold in the spring of 2023 for more than $2 million.

Kurt Cobain’s jeans

These jeans were sold last year at an American auction for almost $413,000, which is forty times their initial price. Notably, they cannot be called ordinary. First, they belonged to Kurt Cobain, the frontman of the Nirvana band. The rocker wore them shortly before his death in April 1994 and was seen wearing them at the tenth MTV Awards. Secondly, the jeans have an unusual design. They are ripped in many places and decorated with colorful designer patches.

Spider sculpture

American sculptor Elise Bourgeois became famous for creating only giant spider sculptures for more than twenty years. One of them (from the famous series "Maman") was sold last year at Sotheby's auction for $32 million. The sculpture is a huge bronze spider, reaching a height of 3 meters. By the way, in 2011, auction house Christie's sold a similar spider, created by E. Bourgeois, for more than $28 million.

Tupac Shakur's ring

Tupac Shakur, one of the brightest stars of hip-hop, was known for his great passion for jewelry. The musician constantly wore a lot of jewelry, but he had a special love for a gold ring with precious stones, created by his own design. This accessory is adorned with T. Shakur's imprint and a unique engraving indicating his engagement to Kidada Jones. Last year, the unique ring went under the hammer at Sotheby's for over $1 million.