Tolkien’s Writing Desk on Auction at Christie's

If you have a spare £50-£80,000 lying around, you might be able to pick up JRR Tolkien's writing desk in an auction at Christie's. The desk is a late 19th Century Merton College desk, and is part of Christie's upcoming Groundbreakers: Icons of Our Time auction which celebrates groundbreaking discoveries and achievements of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Also available will be the original artwork for the first edition of Warhammer.

The auction will be taking place at 11 December at 4pm GMT at Christie's in London.

Christie’s is excited to present Groundbreakers: Icons of our Time, a new auction offering a curated selection of works that reflect the groundbreaking discoveries and achievements of the 20th and 21st centuries. Spanning natural history, cinema, music, literature, fashion, sport and technology, Groundbreakers celebrates the best of human endeavour and showcases cultural touchstones of the modern era.

Leading with the remarkable Spike, marking the debut of the iconic Caenagnathid at auction, offered works range from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Merton College desk to early letters by Ayrton Senna, which offer unparalleled insight into the mind of Formula 1’s greatest driver. Further highlights include the 1931 annotated draft of the London Underground, the original artwork for the first edition of Warhammer, and the first edition of Turing’s On Computable Numbers — with further groundbreaking treasures to be revealed in the coming weeks.

 

[John R Davis]

That first edition of Warhammer—is that this one? Which I have on my shelf right here.

View attachment 422744

It's the original piece of artwork for Hammy the Hammer

£300,000 estimate!

 

[Riley]

If you have a spare £50-£80,000 lying around, you might be able to pick up JRR Tolkien's writing desk in an auction at Christie's.

The auction will be taking place at 11 December at 4pm GMT at Christie's in London.

“Give us that, my love.”
“Why?”
“Because 11 December is my birthday, and I wants it.”

 

[Mannahnin]

Tolkien's writing desk is like a modern-day relic. My hands would be shaking if I touched it.

It's the original piece of artwork for Hammy the Hammer

£300,000 estimate!

Wow.

I'll never get anything like that, though last year I DID get in on a limited run of (a hundred or so) signed and numbered posters of John Blanche's cover art for the British version of the 1977 Basic D&D set.

My copy is still in the cardboard mailing tube until I move into my next place and get it framed, but here's a pic of the art from the web:

 

[trappedslider]

What bonuses does it give the user?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Tolkien's writing desk is like a modern-day relic. My hands would be shaking if I touched it.


Wow.

I'll never get anything like that, though last year I DID get in on a limited run of (a hundred or so) signed and numbered posters of John Blanche's cover art for the British version of the 1977 Basic D&D set.

My copy is still in the cardboard mailing tube until I move into my next place and get it framed, but here's a pic of the art from the web:

View attachment 422804

WotC really needs to do a collection of all of these alternate covers and artwork for the TSR books, assuming they have the rights.

 

[TerraDave]

When "writing" was done with like, a pen.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

When "writing" was done with like, a pen.

Surely a giant eagle feather, no?