$400,000 for a camel sculpture? State Department says it's a deal

Officials explained the decision to purchase the piece of art, titled Camel Contemplating Needle, in a four-page document justifying a sole source procurement. This artist’s product is uniquely qualified, the document explains. Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamist country, it says. (Like the Bible, the Qur’an uses the metaphor of a camel passing through the eye of a needle.)

In a statement, State Department press spokeswoman Christine Foushee said the proposed purchase comes from the department’s Office of Art in Embassies. In new construction projects, she said, a small part of the total funds, about 0.5%, is spent on art purchases.