£1,450
Queen/Freddie Mercury:
A Laurence Corner straw boater hat with blue ribbon and fake ivy leaves on the rim that was previously owned by Freddie Mercury. The hat was designed by Diana Moseley for Freddie’s ‘Very Silly Hat’ party that took place at his Garden Lodge home on the occasion of his 40th birthday.
Diana Moseley, in an interview with Sotheby’s, June 2023, recalled making the hats for this occasion: ”Freddie had a huge sense of humour. I remember making all the hats for his 40th birthday party in 1986, each one specifically designed for a member of the family or one of his friends, like Mary, Jim, Joe, Peter and some actor friends. There were joke ones and a trick one for Freddie which nearly broke his jaw because it had an exploding device in it. He found it hilarious. When I arrived at the house with them, it was like giving out Christmas presents. The day before, they had all been bouncing around the house setting up the party, putting hatstands in the garden, as if for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. It was a curious sight, but so much fun.” The ‘exploding device’ referred to by Moseley is the mechanism inside the ‘Mad Hatter’ top hat which made the top flip open to reveal the ‘surprise bang’.
The hat was sold as part of lot 2251 from the Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own, Crazy Little Things 2 sale held at Sotheby’s New Bond Street London on 13th September 2023. This item comes with a signed certificate of authenticity on Tracks Ltd. letterhead stating this.
The condition is very good.
Please note that this item doesn’t come with a Sotheby’s auction tag. This is for illustration purposes only.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
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