You might be lucky enough and live in a flat with views on the Eiffel Tower. But now, there is someone who can show off and say they own a piece of the Tower, and it is impressive. A three-meter tall section of the staircase has auctioned on December 1, 2020 by Artcurial and was sold for €274,475. It is now part of a private European collection.
Has the Eiffel Tower been amputated while we were self-isolating at home? No, be rest assured. The section auctioned early December is no longer part of the monument for several years. This staircase used to join the second and third floor of the Tower. It has been removed in 1983 to set up the lift.
This big spiral staircase has been cut in 24 pieces when dismantled. The section auctioned by Artcurial is part of this ensemble. The staircase auctioned measures 2.6 meters tall, 14 steps, and it has been repainted in “Eiffel Tower brown”. It comes from a private collection from Canada. The lucky winners that bought this exclusive piece have also been given a certificate of provenance dated to December 1, 1983.
#EIFFELTOWER On December 1st, Artcurial will be offering an emblematic piece of the French capital: a section of the Eiffel Tower staircase! Measuring nearly 3 meters high, it comes from the original spiral staircase from 1889. (est: 30 000 - 40 000 €) - https://t.co/8zWWwWgYly pic.twitter.com/WiQGXUjI24
— ARTCURIAL (@Artcurial) November 10, 2020
Different sections of this staircase has been traveling across Europe and the world to the pace of sales. France still has a few: a piece is exhibited on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower and three museums own other parts: the Musée d'Orsay, the Villette (Paris) and the Musée de l'Histoire du Fer (Nancy).
You can also find sections of the staircase at the Yoishii foundation in Yamanashi, Japan, or by the Statue of Liberty in New York. Other pieces are found in private foreign collections like in Switzerland, Italy and Canada.
