After high drama, Mahatma Gandhi’s five personal items, including the iconic round eye glasses, finally went under the hammer and were bought for $1.8 million by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya.

The US sale of the national leader’s glasses, sandals, watch and bowl had caused an outcry in Gandhi’s homeland.

The Indian government said the auction was an insult and wanted to claim the items back. Bidding descended into disarray when the auction was called off moments after the sale had started.

Cai Mingchao, a Chinese antique collector and an adviser to the National Treasures Fund, said he placed the winning bid for the two Qing bronzes auctioned in Paris last week and won’t be paying.

The National Treasures Fund is a group backed by the Chinese Ministry of Culture that pools donations to retrieve relics abroad.

Christie’s had proceeded with the sale of the Qing bronzes, severed from a water clock by marauding British and French troops from the Summer Palace in 1860, despite protests from China’s art advocacy groups, patriots and the foreign ministry.

A very rare version of Action Comics issue #1, known famously as the issue that launched Superman, is up for auction and is expected to fetch a bidding price of $400,000.

The particular issue up for auction is an “unrestored” version of the comic and is worth considerably more than the remaining Action Comics #1 that are known to exist.

There are only about 100 known copies left of the original 1938 comic which sold for only 10-cents when it first came out, but about 80% of those are said to have been restored.

The three-day sale of the magnificent Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge at the Grand Palais, offered by Christie’s in association with Pierre Berge & Associates auctioneers, realised in total $483,835,144.

A remarkable 95.5% of lots sold by lot, and 93% sold by value, ArtDaily reports.

This historic sale set a world record for the most valuable private collection sold at auction, was the highest grossing sale in Europe on record, and set multiple world records for Impressionist and Modern Art, 20th Century Decorative Arts, Silver, Sculpture and Works of Art.

The private collection amassed by the fashion designer and his partner Pierre Berge is considered one of the finest in the world.

Labeled the “sale of the century” by Christie’s, it will include over 700 lots with an estimated total value of €200 million to €300 million ($255 million to $380 million).

Berges and Saint Laurent met in 1958 and set themselves the goal of buying the best paintings and sculptures they could lay their hands on.

The single-owner sale of property from the designer’s Lake Como (Italy) residence including furniture, paintings and works of art takes place March 18 at Sotheby’s London.

The 550 lots are expected to fetch in excess of £2 million. Prior to the sale Sotheby’s will recreate highlights of certain rooms of the villa in its New Bond Street galleries.

Gianni Versace’s discerning approach to furnishing his home resulted in the impressive collection of continental furniture, sculpture and silver works and 18th and 19th century paintings to be offered in this sale.