Freddie Mercury stage costume sells for $35,000 at Bonhams

A harlequin stage costume worn by the enigmatic Freddie Mercury sold on July 3

A black and white harlequin stage costume worn by Freddie Mercury highlighted Bonhams' Entertainment Memorabilia sale yesterday (July 3).

Mercury's costume was inspired by Russian artist Leon Bakst

The Queen singers' costume excelled at the auction, having been inspired by the outfits designed by Russian artist Leon Bakst for the legendary ballet dancer Nijinsky in 1910's Carnaval.

When asked about his appearance, Mercury told NME magazine: "I'm into this ballet thing... and trying to put across our music in a more artistic manner than before. It may not be quite right for rock 'n' roll... but if you don't try these bloody things out, you'll never know."

Obtained by the consignor from the Queen Fan Club - after being displayed at the Queen Forever exhibition in Tokyo - the costume sold for £22,500 ($35,212).

Starring alongside the costume was a rare signed copy of the Beatles' 1965 single, Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out, which was sold with a reel-to-reel tape of a BBC interview with the group from the same year. The interview records the moment the group were asked to autograph the single, with Ringo exclaiming: "…as long as you've bought it!" Featuring all of the band members' signatures, it achieved £13,750.  

Paul Fraser Collectible is currently offering a rare signed copy of A Hard Day's Night, of which only 6-10 are known to exist. See our full Beatles collection here. 

Also featuring in the auction's top sales was a military-style jacket which Michael Jackson wore in 2005 while in Bahrain. Tailored by Dege & Skinner of London's Savile Row, the jacket brought £10,625.

We are also offering a Michael Jackson worn sequinned jacket, which we think better captures the King of Pop's iconic style. For more exciting Michael Jackson collectibles, click here.

Recent and related articles

·  Michael Keaton's Batman costume could see $50,000 at auction | 3 July 2012

·  Queen Victoria mourning outfit beats estimate by 210% | 2 July 2012

·  Top 5 Wimbledon memorabilia | 27 June 2012

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Images: Bonhams