DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Eiffel Tower Staircase Section Fetches 450,000 Euros at Paris Auction

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A 14-step section of the original Eiffel Tower spiral staircase, dating back to 1889, sold at auction in Paris for 450,000 euros.
  • The nearly three-meter-high piece, weighing 1.4 tons, was purchased by a French collector and is now part of a global collection of dismantled staircase sections.
  • Auction house Artcurial noted that the Paris 2024 Olympics have boosted collector interest in Eiffel Tower memorabilia.

The sale of another section of the iconic Eiffel Tower's original staircase has once again captured the attention of collectors and the public alike. This nearly three-meter-high segment, comprising 14 steps and weighing a substantial 1.4 tons, fetched a remarkable 450,000 euros at Artcurial's auction in Paris, exceeding its initial valuation.

Acquired by a discerning French collector, this piece joins a global fraternity of Eiffel Tower staircase sections, each a tangible link to the landmark's 1889 origins. Dismantled in 1983 during elevator installations, these steps have become highly sought-after artifacts, finding homes in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Statue of Liberty and the Yoishii Foundation in Japan.

When you buy a piece of the Eiffel Tower, you're buying a piece of Paris, along with all the imagination and symbolism it represents.

· Sabrina DollaArt Deco design director at Artcurial Paris, explaining the appeal of owning a piece of the Eiffel Tower.

Sabrina Dolla of Artcurial Paris highlighted the enduring allure of owning a piece of Parisian history, emphasizing the imagination and symbolism embedded within the tower. She also pointed to the recent Paris 2024 Olympics as a catalyst, significantly amplifying the Eiffel Tower's appeal among collectors and reinforcing its status as a global icon. The renewed interest underscores the tower's lasting aesthetic and cultural significance.

Gustave Eiffel's masterpiece, built for the 1889 Paris World's Fair, remains a paramount tourist attraction. Its enduring legacy, now further cemented by the desirability of its historical fragments, continues to draw admiration and investment, proving that even a piece of its structure holds immense value.

We're definitely seeing renewed interest in what it symbolizes and its aesthetic appeal.

· Sabrina DollaArt Deco design director at Artcurial Paris, commenting on the impact of the Paris 2024 Olympics on collector interest.
About this summary

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog