The 19th century box sold for $15,736.49.
A vampire-killing kit sparked an international bidding war before it sold at auction in the UK for six times its estimated price.
According to Hansons Auctioneers, the late 19th-century box of items known to ward off vampires sold for $15,736.49 on Thursday, June 30. It was owned by Lord William Malcolm Hailey, a British colleague and former governor of British India.
“Whether out of fear or fascination, it is interesting to know that a member of the highest aristocratic social order, a man with a seat in the House of Lords, has acquired this item. It reminds us that the vampire myth affects people from all walks of life,” Charles Hanson, owner of the auction house, said in a press release.
Also read | More UK Pubs Name ‘Last Drinks’ Amid Rising Costs: Report
Hanson Auctioneers inquired that the items in the box were crucifixes, holy water, a wooden stake and hammer, rosary beads, a Gothic bible, brass candlesticks, matching pistols and a brass powder flash.
Mr Hanson said the task of killing a vampire was extremely serious and historical accounts suggested the need for specific methods and tools. He added that objects of religious significance, such as crucifixes and bibles, would repel these “monsters.”
According to the press note, the eerie item attracted bidders from all over the world, including Frace, the US and Canada. But in the end, an anonymous bidder from the UK won.
Also read | “They are everywhere”: microplastics in oceans, air and human body
It is still unclear whether the buyer will start using the kit. However, Hanson Auctioneers has said that the belief in vampires, undead creatures that are said to require human blood to survive, goes back hundreds of years and continues even today in some parts of the world.
Click for more trending news
