Harry Potter original artwork sells for $1.9m

AFP

An original watercolour painting has become the most valuable Harry Potter item ever sold, having gone under the hammer at an auction in the US.

The painting sold to the highest bidder for a staggering $1.9m, which was three times what experts had predicted it would fetch.

The artwork is famously from the front cover of the first edition of JK Rowling's hit fiction book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. 

In 2001 the piece was auctioned for $108,000, and had expected to sell for between $400,000 - $600,000 when it went under auction on Wednesday.

The hammer came down on the lot after almost ten minutes of bidding.

Artist Thomas Taylor, from Wales, was just 23 years old when he created the masterpiece, back in 1997. The iconic watercolour painting took just two days to finish.

More from Quirky

  • Google Maps to rename 'Gulf of Mexico' for US users

    Google Maps will change the name of 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America' once it is officially updated in the US Geographic Names System, Google said in an X post.

  • 1904 Olympic medal sells for $545k at auction

    A gold medal from the 1904 Olympic Games has sold for over half a million dollars at auction. The medal, from the St. Louis Olympics, was one of hundreds of items sold from various editions of the Games.

  • T. Rex is at center of debate over dinosaur intelligence

    Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.

  • Horses run amok in central London

    A number of horses are running amok in London and at least one person has been injured, with the army called in to help locate the animals, authorities in the British capital said on Wednesday.

  • Kishida delights Washington with promise of 250 cherry trees as gift

    Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida drew cheers and applause from US lawmakers on Thursday when he announced a plan to donate 250 cherry trees to the US capital to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US independence.

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE

    Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?

  • Noon's First Female Delivery Driver

    Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon’s first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!