Black Titanic Mourning Teddy Fetches 100,000 Pounds
December 6, 2000 - 0:0
LONDON -- A "mourning" teddy bear produced to mark the 1912 sinking of the Titanic has secured almost 100,000 pounds ($145,000) at auction in London.
The black mohair teddy, made by the German company Steiff, and measuring around 50 centimeters, fetched 91,750 pounds, four times the estimate, at the auction held at Christie's in south Kensington on Monday evening.
The bear was one of 600 produced by Steiff for the British market following the disaster in April 1912, when the country was in mourning for more than 1,500 people who drowned when the "unsinkable" liner hit an iceberg on her maiden voyage to New York.
Christie's said the original owner, when given the toy as a child, had disliked it and it remained in a wardrobe all his life.
As a result the toy was in excellent condition.
The bear was bought by an agent on behalf of the Puppen House Museum in Basle, Switzerland, which specializes in dolls and teddy bears.
(DPA)
The black mohair teddy, made by the German company Steiff, and measuring around 50 centimeters, fetched 91,750 pounds, four times the estimate, at the auction held at Christie's in south Kensington on Monday evening.
The bear was one of 600 produced by Steiff for the British market following the disaster in April 1912, when the country was in mourning for more than 1,500 people who drowned when the "unsinkable" liner hit an iceberg on her maiden voyage to New York.
Christie's said the original owner, when given the toy as a child, had disliked it and it remained in a wardrobe all his life.
As a result the toy was in excellent condition.
The bear was bought by an agent on behalf of the Puppen House Museum in Basle, Switzerland, which specializes in dolls and teddy bears.
(DPA)