Every lot in Freddie Mercury's London Sotheby's “A World of His Own” auction – from his well-worn Adidas high-top sneakers to his antique Italian pietra dure table – found a buyer on September 6, for a total of of £12.2 million. The live evening sale, held at Sotheby's New Bond Street, was greeted by a room that Oliver Barker, chairman of Sotheby's Europe, described as “electric”.
With 59 lots on offer, the sale was the first of six dedicated to the Queen frontman's never-before-seen personal collection of more than 1,400 items, perfectly preserved in the icon's London home since his death more than 30 years ago. Mercury's longtime friend, Mary Austin, decided the time was right to part with the objects, which, prior to the auction, were displayed in a month-long public exhibition seen by more than 140,000 visitors, an all-time record for Mercury. Sotheby's.
Tuesday's auction, a black-tie event, “only began when the room started singing 'We Will Rock You,'” according to a Sotheby's London spokesperson, “followed by nearly 20 minutes of dogged bidding.” . And that was just for the first item: a graffiti-covered door on the outside wall of Mercury's house – a testament to the intense “fandom” enjoyed by the British band and their charismatic frontman. A telephone bidder paid just over $521,000 for the scribbled door.
Over the next four and a half hours, bidders from 61 countries competed for the musician's coveted personal collection of artwork, objects, costumes, handwritten lyrics and various ephemera. A record 2,000 people registered to bid, almost 60% of whom were first-time Sotheby's customers.
The predictable top lot, however, was Mercury's trusty 1973 Yamaha grand piano, sold to an anonymous bidder for £1.7 million. The instrument was used to compose “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Don't Stop Me Now” and “Somebody to Love” – some of the most successful songs of the 20th century.
Mercury's autographed handwritten lyrics to Queen's biggest hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" fetched £1.4 million. This is the second time these pages have made headlines recently; the first was when they were released at the beginning of the year, revealing a previous alternative title, “Mongolian Rhapsody”, which had been scratched. The lyrics to the band's other big anthem, “We Are the Champions”, raised £317,500.
Mercury's collection of beautiful artwork also attracted attention. Picasso's print “Jaqueline au chapeau noir” (1962) sold for £190,500 ($240,500), against a high estimate of £50,000 to £70,000, while Joan Miró's “Le Matador” (1969) had a winning bid of £88,900 ($112,000). The last work of art he purchased, a painting by James-Jacques Tissot called “Types of Beauty: Portrait of Mrs Kathleen Newton,” (1880), sold for £482,600 ($609,000).
The musician's elaborate stage costumes – a signature – did not disappoint. His legendary crown and robe set, which he wore at the end of every concert on the “Magic” tour, grossed £635,000, while his rainbow-colored satin applique jacket – made in the USA for “Hot Space” ” 1982 tour – sold for £203,200, 16 times the estimate.
A silver snake-shaped bracelet worn by Mercury in the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video was the subject of “rapid bidding,” Sotheby’s said, surpassing its high estimate within the first few seconds. Ultimately, at £698,500, the lot surpassed almost 100 times its high estimate, the most for any jewel belonging to a rock star (the record was previously held by a beaded talisman from the estate of John Lennon, which was sold in 2018 for £295,000). A CarO level diamond and onyx ring, given to Mercury by Sir Elton John, also exceeded expectations with a price of £273,050, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, minus the buyer's premium.
The final lot, a Wurlitzer jukebox – an iconic model dating back to 1941 – sold for £406,400, or around 20 times its high estimate. According to Sotheby's, the machine still works with the original coin and lights up when turned on. Some of Mercury's favorite songs can be found on it - in vinyl record format - including Ray Charles' “Hallelujah I Love Her So,” Little Richard's “Rip It Up” and Bill Haley's “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”
Source: Artnet News