An original painting created by all four members of the Beatles will sell at a New York auction on September 14.
 The painting was given to the president of the Japanese Beatles fan club |
The painting originates from the Beatles' only trip to Japan, where they stayed for just 100 hours in 1966. Evading fans in the Tokyo Hilton Hotel, the band were unable to escape from their room and were given the 30 inch by 40 inch canvas and paints to cure their boredom.
Placing a lamp at the centre, the band separated the canvas into four sections with each member left to design his own corner. After removing the lamp, they then signed the canvas in the hole that it left and presented the work, entitled Images of a Woman, to Tetsuaburo Shimoyama, president of the Japanese Beatles fan club.
An estimate for the piece has not been set, with the auction house commenting: "It's anybody's guess how much this rare, one-of-a-kind piece will bring, it is a Holy Grail of Beatles collectibles."
The work was sold to a dealer in Osaka for approximately $191,000 in the mid-1990s and appeared again in 2002 on eBay, though it is not certain the exact amount it sold for. A Liverpool Echo report before the sale suggested that the painting might achieve as much as £350,000.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has a brilliant range of Beatles memorabilia, including this signed A Hard Day's Night Cover - one of only 8-10 known to exist.
Also featuring in the New York sale is a Frank Zappa original painting of a drum shop, which reflects his colourful personality and an equally colourful limited edition lithograph print of a fish by the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia and the father of psychedelic art, Stanley Mouse.
Our own rare psychedelic poster originates from the California League of Sexual Freedom's renowned parties, and lists the Doors and Captain Beefheart among the performers.
