A one-of-a-kind watercolour illustration has become the most expensive Harry Potter item ever sold, fetching a staggering $1.9 million at a US auction. This surpasses pre-sale expectations by almost 400%, reported the BBC.
The artwork depicts the iconic scene from the first book, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," featuring the young wizard standing before the Hogwarts Express.
This wasn't the artwork's first time under the auction hammer. In 2001, before the series reached its peak popularity, it sold for a mere 85,750 Euros (roughly $108,000 today). Sotheby's auction house, which oversaw the recent sale, highlights the dramatic increase as a testament to the series' enduring global phenomenon.
The illustration, created by Thomas Taylor in 1997, took just two days to complete. At the time, Taylor, a young artist in his early twenties, was among the first to experience the magic of J.K. Rowling's manuscript. The intense bidding war that lasted nearly 10 minutes underscores the immense value collectors place on this piece of Harry Potter history. The buyer, however, remains anonymous.
Ms Sands noted the difference in auction prices between 2001, when only four of the seven books in the series had been published, and now shows how viral Rowling's creation has become.
She remarked, "In the intervening decades, it's been incredible to witness not just the conclusion of Harry's story, but also the remarkable rise of the Harry Potter franchise. During this time, new generations have come to appreciate Harry and his journey."
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