9 Inch Art Worth A Million

A diminutive sculpture by Henry Moore yesterday sold at auction for more than £1 million. Mother and Child, described by the iconic sculptor as "one of my best earlier pieces", was snapped up for £1,069,600 at Bonhams in London. It was sold to a private collector and smashed the world auction record for a carving by Moore. The sculpture was carved in 1931 using the finest marble - verde di prato - and is just under 9in tall. It was initially purchased soon after Moore's exhibition at the Leicester Galleries in the same year, for just 18 guineas. Bonhams' head of modern British art, Matthew Bradbury, said: "It is an immense privilege to have sold this beautiful Mother and Child sculpture. The enormous price reflects the quality of the work." Irish Art