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James Lee Byars

American · 1932–1997 · Sculptor, Draughtsman

James Lee Byars was an American conceptual artist and performance artist specializing in installations and sculptures, as well as a self-considered mystic. He was best known… (Wikipedia)

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94lots offered2004–2025years recorded93%sold (85)$2.2kSign up free to seemedian price

Record prices

  1. James Lee Byars, The Figure of Death, 1986, basalt, 10 pieces on gilded steel pedestalThe Figure of DeathPhillips · $761,000≈ £481,890≈ €666,433Sign up to see
  2. James Lee Byars, Eros, 1992, Thassos marble, 2 piecesErosPhillips · $425,000≈ £269,124≈ €372,187Sign up to see
  3. James Lee Byars, Untitled, circa 1958, Japanese ink on Japanese rice paperUntitledPhillips · $125,000≈ £79,572≈ €110,346Sign up to see

James Lee Byars’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).

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  1. James Lee Byars, THE HUNDRED ONE PAGE BOOKS, 1975, offest lithograph in gold on black paper
    THE HUNDRED ONE PAGE BOOKS, 1975
    Lithograph · Paper
    11 1/4 x 8in (28.5 x 20cm)
    Bonhams · · Lot 266
    $1,800≈ £912≈ €1,338Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,500–2,000View at Bonhams ↗
  2. James Lee Byars, THE SHOCK OF WRITING A LETTER, 1976
    THE SHOCK OF WRITING A LETTER, 1976
    30 x 8 3/4in (76.2 x 22.3cm)
    Bonhams · · Lot 267
    $3,900≈ £1,976≈ €2,899Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,500–2,000View at Bonhams ↗
  3. James Lee Byars, THE WHITE BOOK, 1980, offset lithograph in black on white paper
    THE WHITE BOOK, 1980
    Lithograph · Paper
    11 x 11in (28 x 28cm)
    Bonhams · · Lot 268
    $330≈ £167≈ €245Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $150–200View at Bonhams ↗
  4. James Lee Byars, Virtue, 1978, sewn silk circle with gold lamé bundling
    Virtue, 1978
    sewn silk circle with gold lamé bundling
    165 x 165in (420 x 420cm)
    Bonhams · · Lot 269
    $33,000≈ £16,722≈ €24,528Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $15,000–20,000View at Bonhams ↗
  5. James Lee Byars, untitled, 1990-1991, gold ink on black ink on napkin
    untitled, 1990-1991
    Drawing
    12 h x 13 w in (30 x 33 cm)
    Wright · · Lot 373
    $5,015≈ £2,835≈ €4,171Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $2,000–View at Wright ↗
  6. James Lee Byars, Untitled (...Sweet Marie Puck...), 1985, Ink and watercolour on 3 folded papers mounted to one another
    Untitled (...Sweet Marie Puck...), 1985
    Watercolor · Paper
    19 x 231.5 cm
    Lempertz · · Lot 609
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. €12,000–View at Lempertz ↗
  7. James Lee Byars, IDK (I don't know), 1986, gold pencil on tissue paper
    IDK (I don't know), 1986
    Drawing · Paper
    25 7/8 x 18 7/8 in. (66 x 48 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 122
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $15,000–20,000View at Phillips ↗
  8. James Lee Byars, The Black Paper on Art, 1987, Gold leaf, on tissue paper, with full margins,
    The Black Paper on Art, 1987
    Gold leaf, on tissue paper, with full margins, · Paper
    diameter 9 3/8 in. (23.8 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 270
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $4,000–6,000View at Phillips ↗
  9. James Lee Byars, The Black Paper on Art, 1987, gold leaf on paper
    The Black Paper on Art, 1987
    gold leaf on paper · Paper
    diameter 9 in. (23 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 154
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $8,000–12,000View at Phillips ↗
  10. James Lee Byars, The poet's glass. The poet's glass. I.D.L.W.S. The Page cushion. The bullet hole hat, Burned writing fingers and stabbed white shoes. The poet's belgium stone. The 7 daggers, 8-teilige Arbeit: 7 Aquarell und Graphit auf gefalteten Papier 107,5 x 77,5 mit Nadeln montiert auf mit schwarzem Knitterpapier montiertem Holz
    The poet's glass. The poet's glass. I.D.L.W.S. The Page cushion. The bullet hole hat, Burned writing fingers and stabbed white shoes. The poet's belgium stone. The 7 daggers
    Watercolor
    123 x 93 cm
    Lempertz · · Lot 460
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. €120,000–View at Lempertz ↗
Also offered, result not published (3)

Lots by James Lee Byars that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.

James Lee Byars works on paper (45)James Lee Byars watercolors (3)James Lee Byars drawings (20)James Lee Byars prints (19)James Lee Byars lithographs (13)James Lee Byars sculpture (3)

About James Lee Byars

James Lee Byars was an American conceptual artist and performance artist specializing in installations and sculptures, as well as a self-considered mystic. He was best known for his use of personal esoteric motifs, and his creative persona that has been described as 'half dandified trickster and half minimalist seer'. Byars was born Detroit, Michigan, and died in Cairo, Egypt.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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