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- Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” soccer ball has sold for £2.5 million ($3.4 million) at auction.
- After scammers stole nearly €700,000 ($816,600) from Estonia’s Artists’ Association, artists donated 124 works to an emergency auction.
- Canada’s Indigenous Art Center says 111 works from its federal collection of more than 5,000 Indigenous artworks are unaccounted for.
The Headlines
GOAL DIGGER. Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” soccer ball has sold for £2.5 million ($3.4 million) at auction, 40 years after the Argentina captain used it to score one of soccer’s most controversial goals against England at the 1986 World Cup. The Independent reported that the Adidas Azteca ball was collected by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser after the match and kept for more than three decades. Bin Nasser first sold it at auction in 2022 for £1.74 million ($2.4 million), but a later attempt to resell it failed. The latest sale at Heritage Auctions reached $3.3 million, far below the estimated $10 million it might have commanded.
ESTONIA UNITED. After scammers stole nearly €700,000 ($816,600) from Estonia’s Artists’ Association (EKL), artists have donated 124 works to an emergency fundraising auction aimed at helping the organization recover from the fraud, UA News wrote. The association said the money was lost after criminals impersonated its leadership and manipulated financial transactions. In response, Estonian artists have stepped in, donating paintings, prints, sculptures and other works for the sale. The auction is intended to raise money quickly and help stabilize the association after the theft. The campaign has also highlighted the solidarity of Estonia’s art community, with artists rallying around an institution facing an unusually severe financial crisis caused by the scam.
The Digest
A human tooth misidentified as a bead sat on a museum shelf for nearly 20 years before archaeologists realized it was a 6,500-year-old piece of jewelry. [Phys Org]
A campaign is calling for British artist Ernest Townsend, who helped camouflage a Rolls-Royce aircraft factory during World War II, to be honored with a plaque. [Derbyshire Live]
Canada’s Indigenous Art Center says 111 works from its federal collection of more than 5,000 Indigenous artworks are currently unaccounted for. [The Art Newspaper]
Europol has warned that museum heists across Europe are becoming more violent, with thieves increasingly targeting high-value treasures including precious metals, gemstones, and cultural artifacts. [Insight EU Monitoring]
The Kicker
ROYAL RETURN. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wax doubles have already “returned” to the UK, as Madame Tussauds London, the famous waxworks museum, marked news that the Sussexes are relocating with a tongue-in-cheek display featuring their figures carrying suitcases. People reported that the couple are expected to move to Britain this month, with their children, Archie and Lilibet, due to start school there in September. They will live in a non-royal residence while retaining their California home and US-based businesses. King Charles reportedly welcomes seeing more of his son and grandchildren privately, but the couple will remain non-working royals, with no change to their status.
