A two-day sale of new works by Damien Hirst at Sotheby's auction house in London was set to raise more than £100m (€126m, $178m) yesterday as art lovers defied the gloom over the global banking system.

The experimental sale, which marked the first time that an artist of Mr Hirst's stature has taken new works directly to auction, bypassing a dealer and gallery, surpassed all expectations, with some works being sold for double their high estimates.