AUCTIONHUNTER (www.auctionhunter.co.uk), Britain's most innovative Internet auction, is set to help the cancer charity Marie Curie Cancer Care in its latest fundraising event.

Until June 25, visitors to the auction site will have the opportunity to bid for a unique one-off artwork created by Italian sculptor Guiseppe Armani. The world famous ceramicist, who makes figurines for the Florence Sculture d'Arte, crafted the piece in public during a visit to Bradford, West Yorkshire, last Saturday.

The event took place at fine china retailers H.R. Jackson in the city centre. The company's managing director Simon Oldroyd will then offer the figurine for auction through AuctionHunter, reaching a worldwide audience of art lovers. The online auction service will showcase the item free of charge and donate any commission fees to the sum raised by the sale.

"This has been a real coup for the store as Armani does not usually do such visits," commented Simon Oldroyd.

"His work is very popular and is available across the world. Previous auctions of Guiseppe's one-off creations have raised as much as $7,000 in the States and between £1000 and £2,000 in Britain. Following the auction, we would obviously be delighted to hand over a cheque to Marie Curie Cancer Care for such a large amount."

Armani's career took off when he worked as a sculptor at an art gallery close to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He now heads a team of sculptors at Florence Sculture D'Arte, where he works with staff to achieve his unique style of clay creations.

Armani has been resident at the Sculture d'Arte on an exclusive basis since1975 and his visit to Bradford was among a limited number of appearances he will make during his stay in Britain. His works command a retail price of between £80 and £250 in this country and more in the USA, where his work is widely recognised.

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