More than $200,000 for his grand piano, nearly two million for his Banksy triptych: Elton John’s memorabilia brought in nearly $8 million on Wednesday during an auction at Christie’s in New York, the first of a series dedicated to the artist.
Inside Rockefeller Center, where the company has its headquarters in Manhattan, silver boots marked with an E and J worn in concert also went for $94,500, they were estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000, while a A pair of glasses, emblematic of the British singer’s look, found a buyer for $22,680, ten times more than their announced estimate.
During eight physical or online sales until February 28, collectors can also treat themselves, among hundreds of lots, to concert outfits by the legendary pianist, who said goodbye to the stage in 2023. Like this set ivory and gold from the 1970s designed by designer Annie Reavey, sold for $12,600 on Wednesday evening. Most of the items come from the artist’s recently sold luxury Atlanta residence.
The musician, known for his hits Your Song, Rocket Man, I’m Still Standing, Sacrifice, his flamboyant costumes and his commitment to the fight against AIDS, had made the capital of the state of Georgia, in the south of United States, his base for his American tours. A choice dictated by “personal reasons”, Christie’s explained in a press release. Elton John had long lived plagued by alcohol and drug addiction problems, and “after becoming sober in 1990, he found comfort and support in this warm community and the city’s drug treatment centers, such as the Triangle Club, who played a vital role in its recovery,” according to the auction house.
The collection, developed with the singer’s husband, David Furnish, includes works by artists Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Richard Avedon, and demonstrates the couple’s taste for contemporary arts. Collectible sales belonging to pop culture stars have become a favorite playground for auction houses. Last September, a series of sales of thousands of objects belonging to the leader of the group Queen, Freddie Mercury, reached 40 million pounds sterling (46.5 million euros), including a Yamaha quarter grand piano on which the artist had composed almost all of his works (2 million euros).
