A tattooed pig taxidermy (Untitled, Koi) by Belgian artist Wim Delvoye was the headline lot of Phillips' contemporary day auction in London.
The sale took place on February 11, with the lot achieving £182,500 ($300,614) – an increase of 128.1% on an £80,000 estimate.
 Wim Delvoye began tattooing pigs in 1997 |
Delvoye tattoos the pigs while they are still alive on a farm in China, where he was forced to move after the Belgian government ruled the project illegal.
Buyers can choose to buy either a live or taxidermied pig, each decorated with unique designs. Naturally the project has proven controversial - resulting in a ban from a number of major art fairs.
In 2007, his St Stephanus I, a set of goal posts with stained glass, achieved $319,000 at Phillips New York.
Michelangelo Pistoletto's Scrivania con Computers achieved £158,000 ($259,767).
The work, a silkscreen print on a mirror, shows a desk with office equipment. It is designed to reflect the observer, forcing them to interact with it.
Pistoletto is a founding member of the Arte Povera movement, formed in Italy at the end of the 1960s, that rejects symbolism and instead proposes that art is life and that the everyday has meaning.
Chris Ofili's Pramnian Odyssey 2 was another highlight, achieving £128,500 ($211,266).
Ofili won the Turner prize in 1998 with his mixed media paintings that combine a variety of exotic materials.
We have a range of art and photography memorabilia available, including this signed sketch by Damien Hirst.
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