The Ottheinrich Bible. © Sotheby's Images

LONDON.-Sotheby’s announced that it has assisted with the private sale of The Ottheinrich Bible from the Ducal Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Art Foundation to the German State of Bavaria for an undisclosed sum. As a result, The Ottheinrich Bible will not now be included in Sotheby’s sale of Western Manuscripts and Miniatures in London on Tuesday, December 4, 2007.

Last year Sotheby’s was engaged by the Ducal Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Art Foundation to advise on a sale of The Ottheinrich Bible. The manuscript was exported to Sotheby’s London for valuation, as London is the centre of the trade in important Western Manuscripts, and Sotheby’s pursued private sale options. However, when no private sale could be arranged, an auction was decided upon as the preferred course and an announcement was made to this effect in September this year. Since that time, talks between the Ducal Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Art Foundation and the Bavarian Ministry of Science, Research and Art have taken place and they have now resulted in this successful sale agreement.

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