Gandhi’s glasses sell for £260,000 in auction
LONDON: A pair of gold-plated circular glasses worn by Mahatma Gandhi during his time in South Africa was on Friday sold for £260,000, surprising the owner who did not realise its value and left it in an envelope for the auctioneer in Bristol three weeks ago.
The rare item was bought by an unnamed collector from the United States, auctioneer Andy Stowe said, adding that the initial reserve price was set for £15,000 but it attracted much interest from various countries, including India.
Stowe said on Saturday: “It’s a phenomenal result!
These glasses have been lying in a drawer for the best part of 50 years. The vendor literally told me to throw them away if they were ‘no good’. Now he gets a life-changing sum of money”.
“We had interest from all over the world – bids came from India, Qatar, American, Russia, Canada. It’s completely spellbinding, and a wonderful thing to be a part of. It’s been a complete honour to handle these spectacles and find them a new home.”
The glasses were in the vendor’s family for nearly a century, given to his uncle by Gandhi between 1920 and
1930. The uncle was working with British Petroleum in South Africa, where Gandhi spent years before returning to India.
The glasses were described by the auctioneer as being “of usual form, with sprung gold plated arms and prescription lenses. Jointed by a gold plated nose bar. The spectacles formed an important and somewhat iconic part of Gandhi’s overall appearance”.