The bowl, found in New York state, "was bought for a few dollars from a tag sale near the consignor's home in the summer of 2007, " said Cecilia Leung of Sotheby's.

CNN: Bought for $3 at yard sale, bowl sells for $2.2 million

Then, too, the lavish catalog had somehow failed to identify the painting's consignor, who turned out to be Dr. Marc Straus, a wealthy New York oncologist and collector.

FORBES: Revenge of the Nerds