A piece of one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks is set to go under the hammer in Paris, offering collectors a rare chance to own a fragment of the Eiffel Tower.
French auction house Artcurial will sell a section of the monument’s original spiral staircase on 21 May, with estimates suggesting it could fetch between €40,000 and €50,000. The iron structure, dating back to 1889, was designed under the supervision of engineer Gustave Eiffel and once connected the tower’s second and third floors.
The piece measures around 8.5 feet (about 2.75 metres) in height and includes 14 steps made of riveted steel, forming part of the staircase that originally allowed visitors to climb to the top of the tower before elevators were introduced.
The staircase was dismantled in 1983 during modernisation works and divided into 24 sections. Some of these segments remain in Paris, including pieces presented at the Musée d’Orsay, La Villette, Iron Museum in Jarville-la-Malgrange, while others have been dispersed globally, ending up in Japan and the United States.
The section now heading to auction has been in private hands for more than four decades. According to Artcurial specialist Sabrina Dolla, the anonymous owner is selling because “he’s enjoyed it long enough” and “now his circumstances are taking him elsewhere.”
Despite its relatively modest estimate, previous sales of similar staircase fragments have achieved significantly higher prices. Over the years, Artcurial has sold several, including an 11.5-foot segment for €212,458 in 2013, a record-setting €523,800 sale in 2016, a 14-foot section for €162,500 in 2018, and another 8.5-foot piece for €253,500 in 2020.
The current piece has also been restored to its original brown colour by the workshops responsible for maintaining the Eiffel Tower, enhancing its authenticity.
Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower was initially intended to stand for only a limited period, but has since become a global symbol of France and one of the most visited monuments in the world.
