'Fake' Nara pictures fetch ¥700,000 in online sale

Two pictures resembling drawings by artist Yoshitomo Nara were sold for a total of about ¥700,000 in an online auction last month after a note to the seller from Nara that the works were bogus went unheeded.

The two pieces, each depicting a girl with a piercing look that is characteristic of Nara's work, were tagged "Watercolor? Yoshitomo Nara? Large? Masterpiece?" and put up for auction Oct. 23 on Yahoo Japan's Internet auction site.

The seller said the items came from his deceased grandfather's house and added a note saying, "Since I am not a professional, I do not know their authenticity and value."

Nara said he requested the seller via the auction site to add a note to the lot description stating that the artist himself has advised that the works are not his. Nara said his request did not receive a response.