I have a record of a cheque written by me on 22 December 1981. The cheque is in the sum of £780.50, and the payee is Sotheby's, Belgravia: the counterfoil in my chequebook bears the designation 'Lennon - Tie'. The £780.50 breaks down as follows: tie - £700; 10 per cent buyer's commission to Sotheby's - £70; 15 per cent VAT on that commission - £10.50. Seven hundred pounds for a tie? Yes, that is what I paid. The tie was short and thin and black, and it had a bluish, greasy sheen which proclaimed its service. It carried no designer signature or label. It did come, however, with a 'certification': this short, thin, black tie had a provenance. It had been worn by John Lennon at a London concert in the 1960s. The letter of 'certification', signed by the impresario concerned and by Lennon himself, confirmed the association between tie and wearer.

LRB 25 July 1991 | PDF Download