The Supreme Buddha Wood Sculpture Sold for $14.3 M

A wooden sculpture of the supreme Buddha sold for more than 14.3 million dollars in New York on Tuesday, at Christie's far exceeding pre-sale estimates and setting a new record for a work of Japanese art.

The Supreme Buddha
Attributed to Unkei (d. 1223)
Dainichi Nyorai
Kamakura period, 1190s
Cypress with lacquer, color pigment, gold leaf and crystal
26 in. (66.1 cm.) high
Estimate: $1,500,000-2,000,000