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1994 Michael Jordan Fielder's Glove Used to Create Silver Sculpture for 32nd Birthday....
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Sold on Jun 14, 2020 for:
$25,200.00
Bid Source: Internet bidder
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Description
1994 Michael Jordan Fielder's Glove Used to Create Silver Sculpture for 32nd Birthday. Many members of our Heritage Sports clientele will remember the presentation of a pair of extraordinary silver sculptures in our August 2019 Platinum Night auction, pieces originally commissioned by Michael Jordan's wife to commemorate the Hall of Fame icon's thirty-second birthday in 1995. When we first saw them, we were convinced they were original items that had been dipped in silver because the detail was so astonishingly precise, right down to the grain of the leather and the texture of the lacing, that it seemed impossible that they were sculptures made from molds.However, we were assured that they were indeed just that, the single Air Jordan I and a baseball fielder's glove replicated in pure, solid silver at the extraordinarily limited edition of ten pieces each. MJ kept two of each for himself, a business associate of Jordan kept one of each, and the others were sold at various charity events. Examples have been displayed at Michael Jordan's restaurant, the Chicago Science Museum, and the clubhouse of Jordan's hometown golf course. After the ten sculptures were made, the molds were destroyed.
But, thankfully, the original items from which the molds were created were not, so we were thrilled a couple weeks ago to receive an email from Israel, from the proud son of the man whose mastery of his craft was showcased in those rarest of Jordan collectibles. He sent along a photograph of himself holding the shoe that Juanita Jordan had shipped to his father in his left hand, the fielder's glove in his right. Each was a perfect match to its respective silver sculpture.
That man, Mr. Dan Lavi, was himself a serious Michael Jordan fan growing up six thousand miles from Chicago, and so it was only natural that his father (now deceased) made a gift of these original pieces to his young son after the molds had been made, and Dan has cherished them for the quarter century since. But as "The Last Dance" documentary has thrown gasoline on what had always been a roaring fire of interest in Michael Jordan collectibles, Dan made the decision to send the shoe and glove back to the States to find new homes with the clientele of Heritage Auctions.
Make no mistake-the resurgence of interest in Jordan spawned by the ten-part documentary has been a global phenomenon, and Dan has become something of a local celebrity in Israel due to his unique connection to the sport's greatest name. You can find links to Dan's media appearances at our listings. Certainly those Americans competing for ownership of these items will face no small challenge from Israeli bidders hoping to bring those pieces right back to the nation where they have resided for the past twenty-five years, as well as from others around the world looking to add a third home nation to their resumes.
Though nobody could possibly argue that Michael Jordan's career on the diamond was as distinguished as his career on the hardcourt, collectors chase the few baseball artifacts that survive from that brief flirtation with our national pastime with great vigor. A pair of cleats worn by Jordan during his baseball days recently commanded $93,000 in our May catalog auction to document that reality.
We cannot state with full certainty that no Michael Jordan fielder's glove has ever appeared at auction, but if it has, we cannot find such a listing. This may well be the only example in private hands. Like the Air Jordan I sneaker likewise on offer within this auction, we must strongly assume that Jordan used this glove in competition, but its utilization in the molding process has made it difficult to determine what might be game wear and what might be related to that process. The glove is filled with an epoxy type material to help it maintain its shape when dipped in the molding material, and that epoxy is not removable like the material used in the shoe likewise on offer in this auction. The weight is four pounds.
Many will be surprised to see Michael Jordan linked to a sporting goods brand that is not Nike, but they weren't making gloves in those days, so Wilson was pressed into service to create a special "MJ-45" version of its "A2000" glove for Nike's prized client. You will see him wearing this brand (and quite possibly this exact glove) in photography from Jordan's baseball days.
The glove, and the shoe likewise on offer within this auction, will be accompanied by a letter of provenance from the son of the silver artisan. Letter of provenance from son of silver artisan. LOA from Heritage Auctions.
Consignor media appearances. Article Video
Heritage Auctions archived listing for matching silver sculpture.
Auction Info
Sunday Sports Collectibles Weekly Online Auction #152024 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
June, 2020
14th
Sunday
Internet/Mail Bids: 19
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 3,408
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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