Original puppets from one of the most successful theater shows in recent memory have sold for £68,000 ($90,046) at a charity auction in London.
Puppets from the National Theatre's critically acclaimed production of author Michael Morpurgo's moving novel War Horse – which is centered on the bond between a boy and his horse during the First World War – were sold earlier this week at Bonhams to raise money for the Handspring Trust. The puppet Joey – the star of the production, pictured above – sold for £35,000 alone.
The Handspring Trust is the brainchild of Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones, whose South Africa based Handspring Puppet Company designed and made the show's iconic puppets. The Trust is an educational, not-for-profit organisation.
"War Horse captured hearts around the world. We are delighted to have raised so much money for a great cause," Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams director of African Art, said in a news release.
Since its debut at the National Theatre in 2007 "War Horse" has become a global phenomenon. It has been taken to 11 countries around the world and performed in front of more than 7 million people. A film directed by Steven Spielberg was released in 2011.