A ₹1,400 flea-market find became a ₹2.5 crore masterpiece 70 years later. Here’s why
What looked like ordinary jewellery proved to be a valuable piece of modern art. From a modest purchase to a multimillion-rupee auction sale, this necklace had an extraordinary journey.
- Sep 24, 2026,
- Updated Sep 24, 2026 12:10 AM IST
A necklace bought for just $15 (around ₹1,400) at a Brooklyn flea market turned out to be an original artwork by renowned American artist Alexander Calder. Nearly seven decades after the purchase, the silver-wire and cord necklace was sold for $267,750—more than ₹2.5 crore—at a Christie’s auction.
The necklace was purchased by Philadelphia woman Norma Ifill from a stall on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue. According to an ET report, Ifill was drawn to its unusual appearance and bought it without knowing anything about its creator or artistic value.
The piece was made around 1940 and was crafted using silver wire and cord. For years, it was treated as an unusual vintage accessory. Ifill even wore it on some occasions, unaware that it was an important work of modern art.
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Recognised as Alexander Calder’s work
The discovery reportedly came when Ifill visited an exhibition featuring Calder’s jewellery at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She recognised similarities between the displayed pieces and the necklace she had bought at the flea market.
Experts later authenticated the necklace as Calder’s work. The artist, best known for his mobiles and large-scale sculptures, also created wearable art, including necklaces and other jewellery designs.
Christie’s catalogued the piece as Untitled (Necklace) and described it as a silver-wire and cord work executed around 1940. The auction house had estimated its value at between $200,000 (around ₹1.91 Cr) and $300,000 (around ₹2.86 Cr).
Sold for over ₹2.5 crore
The necklace was offered as Lot 107 at Christie’s first open sale of post-war and contemporary art in New York in September 2013. It eventually sold for $267,750 (around ₹2.5 Cr), including the buyer’s premium, comfortably within the auction estimate.
DO CHECKOUT: Rs 167 crore for Yashoda and Krishna: Raja Ravi Varma's masterpiece becomes highest-value modern Indian painting
The sale turned a modest flea-market purchase into a remarkable art-market discovery. It also highlighted the potential value of Calder’s jewellery, which is now sought after by collectors for combining sculpture, design and personal adornment.
A necklace bought for just $15 (around ₹1,400) at a Brooklyn flea market turned out to be an original artwork by renowned American artist Alexander Calder. Nearly seven decades after the purchase, the silver-wire and cord necklace was sold for $267,750—more than ₹2.5 crore—at a Christie’s auction.
The necklace was purchased by Philadelphia woman Norma Ifill from a stall on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue. According to an ET report, Ifill was drawn to its unusual appearance and bought it without knowing anything about its creator or artistic value.
The piece was made around 1940 and was crafted using silver wire and cord. For years, it was treated as an unusual vintage accessory. Ifill even wore it on some occasions, unaware that it was an important work of modern art.
ALSO READ: From ₹1 lakh lots to ₹100 crore masterpieces: How India’s art market is broadening
Recognised as Alexander Calder’s work
The discovery reportedly came when Ifill visited an exhibition featuring Calder’s jewellery at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She recognised similarities between the displayed pieces and the necklace she had bought at the flea market.
Experts later authenticated the necklace as Calder’s work. The artist, best known for his mobiles and large-scale sculptures, also created wearable art, including necklaces and other jewellery designs.
Christie’s catalogued the piece as Untitled (Necklace) and described it as a silver-wire and cord work executed around 1940. The auction house had estimated its value at between $200,000 (around ₹1.91 Cr) and $300,000 (around ₹2.86 Cr).
Sold for over ₹2.5 crore
The necklace was offered as Lot 107 at Christie’s first open sale of post-war and contemporary art in New York in September 2013. It eventually sold for $267,750 (around ₹2.5 Cr), including the buyer’s premium, comfortably within the auction estimate.
DO CHECKOUT: Rs 167 crore for Yashoda and Krishna: Raja Ravi Varma's masterpiece becomes highest-value modern Indian painting
The sale turned a modest flea-market purchase into a remarkable art-market discovery. It also highlighted the potential value of Calder’s jewellery, which is now sought after by collectors for combining sculpture, design and personal adornment.