The famous pink feather ‘magic boa’ worn by Jimi Hendrix could fetch up to £15,000 ($A27,300) at auction later this month.
The guitar icon wore the accessory during his performance at the iconic Monterey Pop Festival, which catapulted him to fame in 1967.
The item was given to the photographer Karl Ferris on Hendrix’s return to London after the festival. Now Ferris is selling it in the run-up to the 50th anniversary of Hendrix’s death, aged 27, on September 18th.
He says Hendrix had an affectionate name for the item, which he also wore on an album cover.
“Jimi called it his Magic Boa because it brought him much luck … as he wore it on … Are You Experienced and at his best ever concert, Monterey Pop,” Ferris said on Tuesday.
“As a tribute to the great man I thought it would be the right time to offer the Magic Boa along with a selection of the photographs of Jimi I took back in 1967.”
Ferris said the colour of the boa changed to yellow on the album cover because of the infrared film effect.
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The boa will go under the hammer at Merseyside-based Omega Auctions’ music memorabilia sale on September 8th. You can view the full catalogue and find more information here.
“It is a great honour to be able to offer for auction Jimi’s Magic Boa he wore on the cover of his seminal album and also at one of his most iconic performances,” the auctioneer Paul Fairweather said.
“It is 50 years since he sadly died and this auction in many ways is a celebration of this music legend.”
It’s not the first piece of Hendrix memorabilia to be sold for a huge sum. Just last month, his Japanese sunburst electric guitar that he used in the early ’60s sold for more than £160,000 at auction. The instrument was estimated to be worth around £38,000.
Check out ‘Hey Joe’ by Jimi Hendrix at the Monterey Pop Festival:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe82eYRjiBU
