The piece of art is called Comedian (Credits: EPA)

A banana duct-taped to a wall has sold for $6.2 million at an auction in New York.

The piece of conceptual art is called Comedian and was made by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.

The art was this week bought by Justin Sun, the founder of a cryptocurrency platform.

However, Mr Sun didnt buy the actual Comedian, he just bought a certificate giving him the right to duct-tape a banana to the wall and call it Comedian.

The buyer said the piece represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.

Mr Sun added: Additionally, in the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honouring its place in both art history and popular culture.

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Next Page Comedian was debuted at a festival in 2019(Credits: Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMA Press Wire/) At first, art fans couldnt work out whether to take it seriously (Credits: Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMA Press Wire/)

Bidding started at $800,000 before rapidly increasing.

Auctioneer Oliver Barker cried: Dont let it slip away.

Dont miss this opportunity. These are words Ive never thought Id say: Five million dollars for a banana.

Comedian first debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach, with festivalgoers trying to work out whether it was supposed to be a joke or not.

At one point, another artist took the banana off the wall and ate it.

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The piece attracted so much attention at the festival that it had to be withdrawn from view.

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