Christie’s “Exceptional Sale,” which began in London in 2008 and is devoted to weird, non-conforming, and particularly buzz-worthy objects, will feature a spitfire fighter plane this year, in the July 11 auction.
In the past, objects included “The Rothschild Torah Ark: A Magnificent German Silver And Silver-Gilt Torah Ark, Johann Christoph Müller, Breslau, 1746-1758,” and “The Givenchy Royal Hanover chandelier, a German silver eight-light chandelier, Balthasar Friedrich Behrens, designed by architect William Kent,” reports artnews.com
The plane is an “immaculately restored Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1A – P9374/G- MK1A,” the kind which was used by the RAF in the Battle of Britain, and is one of two remaining, with the other one going to a war museum. The plane crash landed on Calais beach in 1940 and attracted the attention of two German soldiers. It was then left for detritus on the beach, and washed up following a storm, in September 1980.
In a press release, Christie’s begins a quote from a former pilot officer Peter Cazenove, “I wonder what happened to my Spitfire and I wonder if anyone will ever find it?” and ends by describing the sale, the proceeds of which will go to a wildlife charity.
Naturalists may regret that the sale probably won’t include the world’s largest egg, because that one is at Sotheby’s.
