Hand drawing by boxer Muhammad Ali Clay, $ 425,000

The drawing of the late boxer Muhammad Ali Clay’s field-dip pen sold for more than $ 425,000 at auction of some of his lesser-known works of art, many of which exceeded multiple estimates.

The “Sting Like Bee” or “Sting Like A Bee” he painted on paper in 1978 is one of the most sought after works of more than 20 paintings and drawings of the former heavyweight champion, reflecting his interest in religion and social justice. And his career as a boxer. Pre-sale estimates ranged from $ 40,000 to $ 60,000.

The phrase “Fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee” is written, and a boxer raises his hands as a sign of victory and loses to a competitor. Ali is famous for using this phrase to describe his boxing style.

According to the Bonhams auction, 26 paintings by Muhammad Ali sold for a total of $ 945,524 thousand, three times the minimum initial estimate. Bonhams said the “Sting Like Bee” was purchased by Ali Collector, who lives in the UK. Other buyers not identified.

Ali’s interest in drawing was not well known, but he preferred drawing as a way to relax after competitions or training. Some works for sale are traditional landscape paintings, others are cartoon-like character descriptions.

Ali, a former world heavyweight champion, announced his conversion to Islam in 1964 after winning the title for the first time when he was called Cassius Clay. He died in 2016 at the age of 74 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s disease).