A pair of glasses worn by Mahatma Gandhi made the scoop being sold in the UK for $340,000. According to SkyNews, the East Bristol Auctions said that the gold-plated accessory is the most incredible thing in their history.
Mahatma Gandhi, an iconic person in India’s history, used to wear the glasses. Thanks to the archive photos, he was known for wearing the glasses almost all the time.
Telling the story of the historical lot, the UK auction house said non-violent protestor gave the glasses to the vendor’s uncle while he was working for British Petroleum in South Africa during the 1920s or 30s, said the auction house.
“We found them just four weeks ago in our letterbox, left there by a gentleman whose uncle had been given them by Gandhi himself,” East Bristol Auctions wrote on Instagram after the sale late Friday.
As the East Bristol Auctions confessed, Gandhi’s glasses are probably the most famous pair of spectacles the house has ever had and the most important historical item it found.
Andrew Stowe, one of the auctioneers, added the glasses auction is an incredible result for an incredible item. In particular, the sale price smashed the original estimate of around 15,000 pounds.
Gandhi’s glasses transformed into historical thing
Commenting the unbelievable auction lot, auctioneer Andrew Stowe remembers how the vendor gave the glasses and had told him: “If they’re no good, just throw them away.”
However, the East Bristol Auctions experts were digging around and doing deep research. Finally, they discovered that they are a very important historical find. ‘I phoned the gentleman back… his exact words were ‘if they’re no good, just throw them away’, Stowe said.
“I told him I thought they were worth £15,000, and I think he nearly fell off his chair.”
Mahatma Gandhi was a lawyer and political activist who led the campaign for Indian independence from British rule through a non-violent protest movement. His unique style of attire – a loincloth, shawl, sandals and glasses – became firmly associated with the nationalist movement.
