Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LONDON (AP) — Music lovers have the chance to own a strand of history.
Auctioneer Sotheby's is selling a lock of hair from the head of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, resting in a gilt locket.
Taking composers' hair as keepsakes was common in the 18th and 19th centuries.
After Mozart died in 1791, aged 35, his widow gave the hair to the mother of German composer Karl Anschutz. It was acquired by the late British composer Arthur Sommervell and is being sold by his family.
The hair is up for auction Thursday with an estimated price of 10,000 pounds to 12,000 pounds ($15,400 to $18,450).
The sale also includes a lock of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair and an invitation to his 1827 funeral, together valued at 2,000 pounds to 3,000 pounds ($3,100 to $4,600).
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.