Freddie Mercury: His Life with Beloved Cats and Kimono
Sotheby’s ‘Freddie Mercury’ exhibition review (Part 2)
In my previous article, I wrote about Freddie Mercury’s vast and high quality collection of Japanese artworks.
Such as these gorgeous Hakata dolls…
Amongst these amazing collections, there were two genres in which Freddie’s passion was particularly evident.
First of all, let’s have a look at this section.
Cats!
Cats!!
Cats!!! Most of them are Japanese figurines, both old and modern, but some of them are European ceramic dolls, all very adorable…
As some of you may know, I am a proper crazy cat lady — I have had three cats in my life. That’s why I can see that Freddie Mercury’s love of cats is real.
Freddie was always surrounded by his cats — Tom, Jerry, Miko, Lily, Romeo, Oscar, Tiffany, Dorothy, Goliath and Delilah. Some believe he named Miko after a Japanese word ‘miko’, which means ‘shrine maiden’.
This photo shows Freddie with his calico cat Delilah.
Delilah is such a famous cat that Walt Disney Studios has made a picture of her.
And here is the second thing Freddie Mercury absolutely adored.
Kimono! He collected a wide range of kimono, from vintage to modern. And he didn’t just collect them or use them as stage costumes…
Seeing a number of Freddie’s private photos…
He often wore kimono at home!
Freddie Mercury looked so natural and comfortable in kimono, just as Japanese people do. This kimono (Probably a Yukata) matches his moustache very well.
He also had a Japanese fox (Kitsune) mask.
The fan looks great with him too.
Freddie Mercury also enjoyed kimono parties with his friends… I was so moved to see them wearing it like this🥹
He also had a Japanese patterned jacket like this.
When I took a photo of it and turned around, a Sotheby’s staff member caught sight of me in my kimono and rushed to me, saying, “How wonderful! Freddie would have been delighted to see someone in such a beautiful kimono.” I replied, “Oh, if only he were here. We could talk about his amazing kimono collection.”
He said, “I have some items that I would love you to see. Please come this way”, and we went to the backyard through a secret door. On the way, I was almost stopped by other staff, but he said, “This lady is my client”. Yeah, I became a client of Sotheby’s before I knew it, thanks to my kimono😂
And then I was shown all of Freddie’s kimono collection, which is not displayed in public. I was even allowed to touch them. How lucky I am!?!?
Peering into every item, I noticed that Freddie’s kimono collection mainly consisted of black-based kimono such as formal Tomesode or Houmongi, Shiromuku or white kimono for brides and Furisode for young women with gorgeous colours and big patterns. Those must have looked great on him. There were also a small number of casual but silk items such as Tsumugi and Meisen, though. He seems to have tried various types of kimono.
Then, the staff member said, “I would love you to see this one!” and showed me this black Tomesode.
For formal kimono like Tomesode, a family crest, called Kamon (家紋), which every Japanese family usually has, is placed on this part of the kimono. On the other hand, among true kimono lovers, there are also a few people who create their own design and place it, which is called Share-mon (洒落紋).
You can see the cool logo of the Queen here. So this logo was his own Share-mon, and that also shows that he saw his band Queen as his own family, which is extremely moving.
By the way, the estimated selling price of this black Tomesode is £2,000–3,000. The actual price will probably be higher than that… Other kimono have an estimated selling price of around £1,000–2,000 per piece. Considering that they were from Freddie’s collection, they are rather affordable, shall I buy one or not? 😜
Of course, there are other precious items to see, such as ‘The Garden Lodge Door’, where fans from all over the world visited and left graffiti after Freddie’s death in 1991…
The Yamaha grand piano that Freddie used to compose some of his famous songs.
The satellite guitar used in the 1980 video for ‘Play The Game’.
His hand-written lyrics for ‘We are the Champions’.
His stage costumes.
All the exhibition rooms were full of items, including countless awards Freddie received. Visiting this exhibition, I felt as if I were walking through his life.
Freddie Mercury was a global superstar, known for his unparalleled stage performances that enthralled many, but his private life was not at peace. His sexuality and HIV infection… There was no end to his worry.
Nevertheless, with all his heart, he loved cats, Japanese culture and, above all, music. His life will never be forgotten and the masterpieces he created will continue to move people forever. Thank you, Freddie. Arigato, Freddie💓
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