Christie's confirms by email that MK had retired that guitar to keep it for him.
"Hey Christie's, I changed my mind, I'll play this guitar until I fall over."
Don't even try to understand MK, it's like trying to understand the static noise.
I understand him. He might also would like to give/sell it directly to someone with more decent price.
So you understand Mark Knopfler? I have a lot of questions for you then
After two exhibitions in London and New York, thousands of people visited, catalogues thought-out, printed and sold, guitars documented and photographed, interviews and videos made, one day before the auction, you retrieve from the auction... No, not any of the iconic guitars, no, no, no, that would be too predictable for Mark Knopfler. Not like retrieving a guitar from an auction IS predictable in the first place... But you do it with a rather standard Pensa guitar that nobody would think of.
Anyway, I know he's got his reasons, but I give up trying to understand what's happening.