Mozart hair at Sotheby's auction up for £10,000

[AeolianHarp]

A lock of hair belonging to master composer Mozart is expected to fetch £10,000 when it goes up for auction.

Sotheby's has valued Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's hair, dating back to 1791, at £10,000 ahead of Thursday's sale.

A small lock of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair and a printed invitation to the German's 1827 funeral are also being sold. They have been estimated to reach £2,000.

The lots will be on public display in central London until Wednesday.

Locks of hair were frequently taken as keepsakes from the bodies of recently deceased composers,

Mozart's has been kept in a gilt locket and was passed from his widow Contanze to the German conductor Karl Anschutz before being given to English composer Arthur Sommervell.

The Austrian died after composing operas such as the Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro.

In 2002, a lock of Mozart's hair was sold for £38,240 at auction - double the pre-sale estimate.

Only £2,000 for Beethoven's?
I saw this today in The Metro newspaper at lunchtime, so I just looked for the news online.
If only I had £2,000 to spare...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-32873586

http://www.classicfm.com/composers/m...RUb6RwluBwc.97

[Peter]

These things belong in museums in my humble opinion.

[Tony John Hearne]

I agree

[Michael]

All this is over my head.

[AeolianHarp]

These things belong in museums in my humble opinion.

I agree as well. In a museum they are then in the care of qualified archivists who know how to keep them in the right conditions for preservation. Awhile back the manuscript of the Ninth was bought by a private collector- that is just wrong! It should be in Beethovenhaus in Bonn. That person may have millions but that is no guarantee he/she will properly care for the manuscript. I find it a disgrace- this manuscript is a world heritage treasure that could be at risk of being damaged or lost. It is as usual all down to money. Treasures such as these should not be up for sale but automatically given to museums and archives for careful preservation.
And just as a p.s- I would indeed have bought Beethoven's hair, had I the money, and then given it to Beethovenhaus.

[Decrepit Poster]

All this is over my head.

Or "This is all over my head."

And to think all these years I've been sweeping mine up and dumping it in the trash. I could've been been selling it! Bet I'd have accumulated the funds for a down payment on a pack of gum by now!

[AeolianHarp]

Or "This is all over my head."

And to think all these years I've been sweeping mine up and dumping it in the trash. I could've been been selling it! Bet I'd have accumulated the funds for a down payment on a pack of gum by now!

Heh heh..have you heard the one where a woman wrote to Beethoven and asked for a lock of his hair? So he sent her some goat hairs for a joke. LOL.

[Peter]

I think the final sales figures were way over the estimates - what's that saying about a fool and his money?

[AeolianHarp]

I think the final sales figures were way over the estimates - what's that saying about a fool and his money?

Buying Ludwig's hair is not foolish- I would if I could lol.
You got a link to the sale results Peter?

[Peter]

Buying Ludwig's hair is not foolish- I would if I could lol.
You got a link to the sale results Peter?

It is if you end up with the goat's hair! No, but I saw something somewhere the other day, can't remember where, which stated the final price was way over the estimates.

[Decrepit Poster]

Buying Ludwig's hair is not foolish- I would if I could lol.
You got a link to the sale results?

Here ya go.

[AeolianHarp]

It is if you end up with the goat's hair!

Goathoven.

[AeolianHarp]

Here ya go.

Thanks DP. Strange that Mozart's hair sold for much more than Beethoven's did.

I wonder who bought them...

[Peter]

Thanks DP. Strange that Mozart's hair sold for much more than Beethoven's did.

There was probably more of it - I keep meaning to get that lock of Handel hair valued and arrange the sale date for April 1st!

[AeolianHarp]

There was probably more of it -

Yes, did look like more, but maybe it is the blond thing, who knows!

I keep meaning to get that lock of Handel hair valued and arrange the sale date for April 1st!

Don't you mean Handel's wig?