Roman micromosaic beats antiques valuation to sell for $379.5k
It had an antiques valuation of up to $200,000.
A Roman micromosaic has outdone its antiques valuation to fetch $379,500 (£235,663).
The circa-1870 piece - which was sold by Myers Auction Gallery of St Petersburg - had a pre-sale estimate of between $100,000 and $200,000, Auction Central News reports.
It was made up of hundreds of pieces of glass and had been in the home of a Tampa resident in the US before its potential was spotted by Michael Myers and Maureen Dowd, who co-own the auction house.
They said: "We had 12 people bidding on the phones as well as gallery and internet bidders through LiveAuctioneers."
The item - which was attributed to Vatican artist Cesare Roccheggiani - was purchased by a telephone bidder.
What's more, this comes after a Samuel John Peploe 1905 painting has been given an antiques valuation of up to £1.2 million before it goes under the hammer at Christie's in May, the Scotsman reported.
Posted by John Folwell