The personal collection of late entertainer Barry Humphries is going to auction, including a pair of diamante-encrusted spectacles belonging to his alter ego Dame Edna Everage.
A veteran of stage and screen, Humphries entertained generations with his satirical characters including the high camp of Dame Edna and the offensive cultural attache Sir Les Patterson.
The Australian star died in April 2023 aged 89.
A sale of around 250 items from his personal collection will take place at Christie’s in London on February 13.
The auction will include the diamante-encrusted Sydney Opera House spectacles worn by Dame Edna, which are estimated to sell for up to £1,500.
Originally a drab Melbourne housewife satirising Australian suburbia, Dame Edna evolved into an increasingly boisterous and eccentric character, with “wisteria hue” hair and cat eye glasses.
Leading the sale is work by artist Charles Conder, whose painting Sand Dunes, Ambleteuse has a top estimate of £300,000.
Elsewhere, his collection includes a first edition copy of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Of Being Earnest which is inscribed to Wilde’s publisher and has a ceiling estimate of £150,000.
The auction includes 19th century European and symbolist art, with Jean Delville’s L’Oubli Des Passions estimated to sell for up to £180,000, while Le Collier De Medailles by Fernand Khnopff has a top estimate of £100,000.
The full pre-sale exhibition will be on public view from February 7 until February 12.
Benedict Winter, associate director of private and iconic collections at Christie’s London, said: “Barry Humphries is best remembered for his comedic genius, but behind his famous figure was a true polymath and connoisseur.
“His passion for collecting and his insatiable appetite for deepening his knowledge was the driving force behind the acquisition of these fascinating and very diverse works of art.
“This refined and engaging collection provides compelling insights into the private world of this very public performer.”
Humphries became a staple of the British comedy circuit after moving from Australia to London in 1959 and appearing in West End shows such as Maggie May and Oliver!
He was among the leading members of the British comedy scene, alongside Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Spike Milligan while his talents extended into script writing and film producing.
In his stable of alter egos, he had the gentlemanly Sandy Stone, 1960s underground film-maker Martin Agrippa, sleazy trade union official Lance Boyle and archetypal Australian bloke Barry McKenzie among many others.
Christie’s will auction Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection in London on February 13 2025.
