One of the world's first calculating machines will not go to auction as scheduled in France, after a Paris court provisionally blocked the historic item from being exported. Auction house Christie's has confirmed it will not proceed with bidding for the machine La Pascaline, developed by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal in 1642.
Valuations suggested the machine could fetch €2m to 3m (£1.7m to £2.6m), and Christie's called it the 'most important scientific instrument ever offered at auction'. Scientists and researchers made a legal appeal to grant heritage protections to the historic instrument, arguing it should be classified as a 'national treasure'.
Pascal was just 19 years old when he developed the earliest version of a calculator; Christie's noted that only nine of these machines still exist. 'It is the first attempt in history to substitute the human mind with a machine,' the official collection description reads. 'Its invention marks a breakthrough, a 'quantum leap' whose importance takes on a very special meaning today.'
La Pascaline was exhibited at Christie's venues in New York and Hong Kong throughout the year. The machine was part of Christie's auction of the library of the late Catalonia collector Léon Parcé, which also featured Pascal's philosophical piece 'Pensées' and the first printed version of 'Pascal's wager'.
On Wednesday, a Paris administrative court temporarily blocked an earlier export authorization provided by France's culture minister in May. The judge determined there were 'serious doubts' regarding the legality of the certificate issued, with the decision being provisional until a final judgment is rendered. In a statement, a Christie's spokesperson confirmed: 'Given the provisional nature of this decision and in accordance with the instructions of its client, Christie's is suspending the sale of La Pascaline.'
The court noted La Pascaline's historic and scientific value could qualify it as a 'national treasure', thus securing protections under France's heritage code. The French heritage group Association Sites & Monuments, which was listed as an applicant in the court filing, welcomed the decision.
Valuations suggested the machine could fetch €2m to 3m (£1.7m to £2.6m), and Christie's called it the 'most important scientific instrument ever offered at auction'. Scientists and researchers made a legal appeal to grant heritage protections to the historic instrument, arguing it should be classified as a 'national treasure'.
Pascal was just 19 years old when he developed the earliest version of a calculator; Christie's noted that only nine of these machines still exist. 'It is the first attempt in history to substitute the human mind with a machine,' the official collection description reads. 'Its invention marks a breakthrough, a 'quantum leap' whose importance takes on a very special meaning today.'
La Pascaline was exhibited at Christie's venues in New York and Hong Kong throughout the year. The machine was part of Christie's auction of the library of the late Catalonia collector Léon Parcé, which also featured Pascal's philosophical piece 'Pensées' and the first printed version of 'Pascal's wager'.
On Wednesday, a Paris administrative court temporarily blocked an earlier export authorization provided by France's culture minister in May. The judge determined there were 'serious doubts' regarding the legality of the certificate issued, with the decision being provisional until a final judgment is rendered. In a statement, a Christie's spokesperson confirmed: 'Given the provisional nature of this decision and in accordance with the instructions of its client, Christie's is suspending the sale of La Pascaline.'
The court noted La Pascaline's historic and scientific value could qualify it as a 'national treasure', thus securing protections under France's heritage code. The French heritage group Association Sites & Monuments, which was listed as an applicant in the court filing, welcomed the decision.
