Rare Persian Rug Sells for $9.6 Million

London, England, April 16, 2010--A rare 17th Century Persian carpet fetched a world record $9.6 million at Christie's in London yesterday - 20 times more than expected.

An anonymous overseas bidder bought the carpet.

The price beat the previous world best of $3.5 million for a silk Isfahan rug, thought to have been made in the early 1600s, in New York in June 2008.