A collection of personal items, including those from his time in Greece, belonging to the late Leonard Cohen, including handwritten poems and a lock of his hair, sold for significant amounts at a Los Angeles auction on Friday.
Julien’s Auctions, which billed the event as the largest auction of Cohen’s private effects, offered nearly 170 pieces belonging to the beloved Canadian singer-songwriter, who died in 2016 at the age of 82.
The top seller was a 76-page notebook containing poems and lyrics for “Treaty” and “It’s Torn,” which fetched US$120,650 (C$174,194). Other notable sales included a first edition of his poetry collection, “Let Us Compare Mythologies” (C$15,015), and handwritten pages of poems from 1968 ($22,920 and $18,770).
Items from Cohen’s time in Greece also drew interest. A key to his home on Hydra sold for $28,154, and a black Greek fisherman’s cap went for $11,261.
Personal jewelry items, such as a locket with Cohen’s hair ($7,334) and a gold bracelet ($6,569), were also sold, along with two mezuzahs ($11,261).
