B45796 – Freddie Mercury Owned Grass Skirt Very Silly Hat Party (UK)

A yellow plastic grass skirt previously owned by Freddie Mercury. It was part of lot 2251 in the Sotheby’s Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own sale. This lot consisted of items that were worn and used during Freddie’s Very Silly Hat party for his 40th birthday which took place at his Garden Lodge home.

Diana Moseley, in an interview with Sotheby’s, June 2023, recalled making the hats for this occasion: ”Freddie had a huge sense of humour. I remember making all the hats for his 40th birthday party in 1986, each one specifically designed for a member of the family or one of his friends, like Mary, Jim, Joe, Peter and some actor friends. There were joke ones and a trick one for Freddie which nearly broke his jaw because it had an exploding device in it. He found it hilarious. When I arrived at the house with them, it was like giving out Christmas presents. The day before, they had all been bouncing around the house setting up the party, putting hatstands in the garden, as if for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. It was a curious sight, but so much fun.” The ‘exploding device’ referred to by Moseley is the mechanism inside the ‘Mad Hatter’ top hat which made the top flip open to reveal the ‘surprise bang’.

Provenance: previously sold as part of lot 2251 from Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own, Crazy Little Things 2 sale held at Sotheby’s New Bond Street, London on the 13th September 2023. This item is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity on Tracks Ltd. letterhead stating the above.

The skirt measures 72cm (28.3 inches) around the waist. The condition is very good plus.