Within weeks the world's two biggest auction houses, Sotheby's and Christie's, had to pay out nearly $200m in guarantees to clients who had placed works for sale with them.

世界上最大的两家拍卖行——苏富比和佳士得——不得不向那些将作品交给他们拍卖的客户支付近2亿美元的保证金。