A rare section of the Eiffel Tower’s original spiral staircase has been sold for more than €450,000 (approximately RM2.4 million) during an auction held in Paris on Thursday.
The winning bidder, who was reportedly present inside the auction room, purchased a historic 14-step staircase segment standing about 9 feet tall and weighing around 1.4 tonnes.
The staircase dates back to 1889 — the same year the iconic Eiffel Tower was officially completed and unveiled in the heart of Paris.
According to Sabrina Dolla, Art Deco design director at Artcurial, owning part of the Eiffel Tower is like owning a piece of Parisian history itself.
“When you buy a piece of the Eiffel Tower, you’re buying a piece of Paris, along with all the imagination and symbolism it represents,” she said.
The staircase section was sold for €450,160 (around RM2.42 million), which was nearly three times higher than its pre-sale estimated value of between €120,000 and €150,000 (approximately RM646,000 to RM807,000).
More than 40 years ago, around 526 feet of the tower’s original staircase were removed and cut into smaller pieces before being auctioned off. The staircase was replaced with elevators that now transport visitors to the monument’s upper observation decks.
The Eiffel Tower remains one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks and continues attracting collectors willing to spend huge sums on rare historical memorabilia.
Back in 2008, another staircase segment from the tower was sold to a private American collector for a record €550,000 (around RM2.96 million).
Today, several sections of the original staircase can still be found in prestigious locations worldwide, including near the Statue of Liberty, within the gardens of the Yoshi Foundation in Japan and in private international collections.
Dolla also noted that the 2024 Summer Olympics had reignited global fascination with Parisian landmarks, especially after famous locations such as the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde and Grand Palais became centrepieces during the games.
“We’re definitely seeing renewed interest in what the Eiffel Tower symbolises and its timeless aesthetic appeal,” she added.
