Rare cast of Princess Diana’s left hand to go up for auction
Princess Diana and her eventful life continue to arouse curiosity and admiration all over the globe, even after 25 years of her tragic death — in the early hours of August 31, 1997 — in a road accident in Paris. A plaster cast of the former Princess of Wales‘ left hand selling for an estimated £40,000 during an upcoming auction is proof of the same.
The life-size cast of Princess Diana‘s hand, which will also depict her wedding band, will be auctioned off at Reeman Dansie in Essex in their ‘Royalty, Fine Art and Antiques Sale’ on November 8, Wednesday. Made renowned Croatian sculptor Oscar Nemon before his death in 1985, the 24-centimetre-long cast is “extremely rare” and “unique”, according to the auction house.
Plaster cast of Princess Diana’s left hand (Source: reemandansie.com)
“This is believed to be a unique cast of Princess Diana’s hand made during her lifetime with her permission and obvious co-operation and is therefore of great importance and rarity,” it said on its official website, adding that the process of making this cast involved placing the hand in a liquid silicone bath which is then set to create a mould from which the cast is made in plaster of Paris.
The cast was made during Princess Diana‘s sittings with Oscar Nemon — who was working on her bust just before his death — at his studio in St James’ Palace. Prior to this, Nemon had made sculptures of other members of the British royal family including Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, and also Prince Philip.
Also on sale will be the plaster cast of Winston Churchill’s right hand which is expected to fetch £5,000-£7,000. The auction house termed these two eminent personalities as “two of the most famous figures of the Twentieth century”.
“It is an amazing feeling to be able to hold the hands of two of the most famous and influential Britons of the Twentieth century,” James Grinter, Royal Special, Reeman Dansie, said.
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