The controversial work, which instantly went viral when it debuted at Art Basel in 2019, beat estimates several times over.

A banana duct-taped to a white wall — or an acclaimed piece of art, depending on how you look at it — sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $US6.24 ($A9.57) million on Wednesday. Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian is comprised simply of a banana stuck to the wall with a strip of silver duct tape and is hung exactly 160cm from the floor.

The new owner of Maurizio Cattelan's art said it "bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.”

The conceptual artwork, “Comedian,” by the noted prankster Maurizio Cattelan was auctioned at Sotheby’s on Wednesday.

The 'Banana' hanging on the wall (titled 'Comedian') by Maurizio Cattelan was recently sold in New York for over 6 million dollars by Sotheby's, drawing public attention to one of the

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian,' a banana duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at a Sotheby's auction. The sale, to cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, sparked debate about the nature of art and value.

The buyer purchased a certificate of authenticity that gives them the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it 'Comedian'

Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian,' a banana duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at a Sotheby's auction. The artwork, purchased by Justin Sun, sparked debate about the nature of modern art. While some saw it as a social commentary,

Artist Maurizio Cattelan's "Comedian" piece - which is a banana stuck to a wall with silver duct tape - which debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach has fetched more than $6million at auction