Spectacles & Testicles
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4589916/Gandhis-...
Mahatma Gandhi's sandals and distinctive spectacles are to be sold in a unique auction lot also including his pocket watch.
The sandals were given to a British army officer in 1931 prior to the Round Table talks in London that were held to discuss Indian self rule.
Gandhi gave his metal rimmed, circular lensed glasses to an army colonel with the words: "These gave me the vision to free India."
His Zenith pocket watch was given to his grand niece, Abha Gandhi, his assistant of six years, in whose arms he died after being shot in 1948.
As Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma, had few possessions these items are of huge interest and are expected to well exceed the estimate of £30,000.
Gandhi was pictured wearing the pocket watch, made in about 1910, and it is expectted to be the highlight of the lot.
A bowl and plate that were given by the great political and spiritual leader to his grand niece are also for sale.
The items have letters of provenance and were collected by the unnamed vendor who is now selling them.
Michelle Halpern, from Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York, which is staging the auction, said: "This is a truly historic sale of Gandhi's possessions. Of course he didn't have much, so anything of his that comes up for sale is worth that much more.
"He's a hero not just in India but across the world for his peaceful methods and the changes he made. The glasses were given in the 1930s to Colonel H A Shiri Diwan Nawab who asked Gandhi for inspiration.
"Gandhi gave him the glasses and said: 'These gave me the vision to free India.'
"They were passed down through the colonel's family and we have a letter of provenance from his grandson. The sandals were given to a British military officer in 1931 prior to the Round Table talks in London.
"The officer had taken some photographs of Gandhi and he gave him his sandals out of gratitude. They were passed down through the officer's family. The watch, bowl and plate came from Gandhi's grand niece who was his assistant for six years.
"The items were put together by a collector who is now selling them and there has already been a great deal of interest. I'm sure the items will sell for more than the estimate."
Gandhi was born in 1869 and was an inspirational leader of India and the Indian independence movement.
He is famed for his non-violent means to achieve his goals, which resulted in the independence of his country, and inspired civil rights movements across the world.
Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 by a Hindu radical. He was 78 years old.
The sale is being held on March 4/5.
This article reminded me of a real character I once worked with. After getting ready to go out for the evening, this guy would go through a little performance, checking with hand motions that everything was in place before he went out. He had a little checklist which he would go through aloud and it went something like this: "Spectacles, testicles, wallet, watch, OK I'm ready to go!"
It also reminded me that M.K.Gandhi, though he may have had few worldly posessions, had balls of pure brass.
He achieved his goals through the application of pure willpower and an unshakeable belief in the 'rightness' of his actions.
We need people like him today, any takers?
"It was a woman who drove me to drink, and I never had the courtesy to thank her for it." W. C. Fields.