Codex Leicester. Codex Hammer; 1510
Codex Leicester. Codex Hammer; 1510 Florence, Italy, Italian, 72 pages
Author: Leonardo da Vinci
Sold for: USD 30.8 million
Auction house: Christie's auction
Sale date: November 1994
Seller: Estate of Armand Hammer
Buyer: Bill Gates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The Codex Leicester (also briefly known as Codex Hammer) is a collection of famous scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci. The Codex is named after Thomas Coke, later created Earl of Leicester, who purchased it in 1719. Of Leonardo's 30 scientific journals, the Codex may be the most famous of all. The manuscript holds the record for the sale price of any book, when it was sold to Bill Gates at Christie's auction house on 11 November 1994 in New York for US$30,802,500.
The Codex provides an insight into the inquiring mind of the definitive Renaissance artist, scientist and thinker as well as an exceptional illustration of the link between art and science and the creativity of the scientific process.