Christie’s 10th Shanghai Auction Anniversary UnveilsAuction Debut For Rare Manuscript By Albert Einstein At Christie’s Asia
ALBERT EINSTEIN (1879-1955)
Autograph Manuscript
signed (‘A. Einstein‘), ‘Altes und Neues zur Feld‐Theorie’
[Berlin, before 3 February 1929]
14 pages, 290 x 229mm.
Estimate: CNY 7,000,000 – 10,000,000 /
USD 980,000 – 1,400,000
SHANGHAI – Christie's is excited to present an autograph manuscript by the renowned scientist Albert Einstein in the dynamically curated 10th Shanghai Auction Anniversary: 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale, to be held on 23 September at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai. This marks the auction debut for this rare manuscript at Christie's Asia and represents the Classic Art category's inaugural appearance in mainland China.
This manuscript was first published in a special supplement to the New York Times on 3 February 1929. Due to immense public interest, Einstein had been commissioned to explain the development of his two most famous contributions to science: the theories of special relativity (1905) and general relativity (1915). The manuscript holds tremendous significance as it recounts the history behind the discovery of relativity, explains its working, and looks to the possibility of completing the cycle of relativity in a 'unified field theory'. This 14-page manuscript, written in German, includes two equations and a diagram illustrating the structure of the spacetime continuum, along with two pages of scientific formulae.
Georgina Hilton, Head of Classic Art, Christie’s Asia Pacific, said, “We are delighted to bring this important manuscript by the renowned scientist Albert Einstein to our Shanghai saleroom for the very first time. The manuscript provides a unique and fascinating glimpse into Einstein's thought process and traces the evolution of his pioneering ideas. Given Einstein’s historical links with Shanghai, alongside the significant interest from Chinese collectors in scientific artifacts, our Shanghai saleroom is a fitting context in which to present this unique manuscript. We look forward to exciting global collectors and science enthusiasts with this remarkable piece of history, inextricably connected with Einstein's groundbreaking contributions.”
