Iconic Gandhi spinning wheel likely to fetch £60,000 at Shropshire auction
A spinning wheel once belonging to Gandhi is one of the historical artefacts which will go under the hammer in Shropshire on Tuesday.
The £60,000 price tag is a clue that this is no ordinary household tool.
The portable spinning kit, or charka, is one the inspirational Indian leader carried with him, and it is so associated with him that it became a symbol of Indian independence in its own right.
Actor Ben Kingsley can bee seen using one in the Oscar-winning film bio-pic Gandhi.
The wheel was used by Mahatma Gandhi when he had been imprisoned by the British for his defiance of British rule, and his promotion of Indian independence, in 1930.
On Tuesday, November 5, Mullock's Auctioneers will put the item up for sale at Ludlow Racecourse.
The auctioneers' historical expert Richard Westwood-Brookes said: "The reason this is a significant item is that by using the Charkha, Gandhi demonstrated to his people that they could become self sufficient. The ability to spin your own yarn meant you could weave your own cloth, and thereby make your own clothing, bed linen, and fabrics – and didn't need to rely on your British masters to supply these vital goods for you. The Charkha was considered so important by Gandhi himself that he wanted it incorporated on the flag of an independent India – though this was eventually considered too difficult to portray, and instead a stylised depiction of a wheel was used.
"The item was given by Gandhi himself to an American evangelist, and it remained in his family until coming up for sale.
"Ironically in the same sale we are offering a rare letter Gandhi wrote to one of his followers who was himself in prison at the time, and in the letter Gandhi says 'I am glad you are all spinning and make wise use of your time'."
Earlier this year the auction house posted a world record for a Gandhi letter which made more than £130,000.
