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A section of the Eiffel Tower's original spiral staircase, one that carried visitors to the top of the Paris monument when it first opened in 1889, is set to go under the hammer at Artcurial in Paris on May 21.
The piece consists of 14 riveted steel steps mounted on a cross-shaped base, standing 2.75 meters (9 feet) tall and measuring 1.75 meters (5.7 feet) in diameter.
It once formed part of the staircase connecting the tower's second and third levels, designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel.
Artcurial estimates the lot will sell for between €120,000 ($130,000) and €150,000 ($165,000). The section has been held by a private collector for more than 40 years.
The staircase was removed during a major renovation in 1983, when approximately 20 sections were auctioned and dispersed. Several entered private collections, while others found permanent homes in institutions—among them the Orsay Museum and the Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie in Paris.
Additional sections are on display at the Yoishii Foundation gardens in Yamanashi, Japan, and near the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Demand for pieces from the landmark has remained strong. A comparable staircase section sold for €523,800 ($573,000) in 2016, according to Artcurial—a notable sum for a piece that had been out of use for more than four decades.
The auction house said early interest in the May 21 sale has come from international collectors.
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