Freddie Mercury's iconic piano, used to compose the legendary song Bohemian Rhapsody, is set to hit the auction block at Sotheby's London in September. The piano is just one of over 1,400 personal items belonging to the music legend, which will be on display at the ‘Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own’ exhibition in London from August 4 to September 5, before being auctioned later that month.
The Yamaha G2 piano, purchased by Freddie in 1975, is expected to fetch between USD 2.5 million and USD 3.8 million at the auction. It had been a constant companion to the singer, moving with him from house to house until his passing in 1991. Since then, it has remained at the Garden Lodge in West London.
Mary Austin, Freddie's longtime partner, revealed that the British singer considered his house an extension of himself and maintained it meticulously. He never allowed smoking or placing glasses on the piano and ensured others followed suit.
Besides the piano, other valuable items to be sold include Mercury's crown and royal cloak, handwritten manuscript lyrics for We Are the Champions, dazzling sequined skin-tight catsuits, leather jackets, a 1960s schoolbook, and a personal art collection featuring works by renowned artists like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Marc Chagall.
Sotheby's furniture and decorative arts specialist, Thomas Williams, described the auction as the ‘most democratic sale,’ with some items, like the singer's chopsticks and sewing kit, starting at around USD125 each.
Most of Freddie's possessions were left to Mary and have remained untouched in his West London mansion for more than three decades. However, she recently decided to sell nearly all of the items as a way to close this poignant chapter in her life and organise her affairs, stated reports.