Fans of the weird and wonderful came out in force to bid on a scarce vampire-slaying kit – packed with an arsenal of weapons to ward off the mythical beast.
The kit, housed in a wooden box with original key, held a mix of mainly 19th objects hidden away within a leather-bound Cassell Bible. It contained only a few pages as it disguised a secret storage area housing a pistol, brass powder flask and miniature telescope.
Another hidden section contained a small Bible, crucifix, rosary beads, ‘Holy Water’, ecclesiastical candlesticks, brass hammer and stake. A faint name on the case appeared to read, ‘Miss I & F Willetts’. The seller was informed it originally belonged to an American film actress.
The curious collectible went under the hammer at Hansons London on December 9, sparking strong global interest. The total price paid, with buyer’s premium, was £2,361. The winning bid came from a private United States buyer.
Chris Kirkham, associate director of Hansons London, said: “Finds like this appeal to bidders all over the world. The vampire-slaying kit is pure theatre – spooky and fascinating. Examples, some older than others, emerge from time to time and they often spark major interest.
“Vampires, which are said to need human blood to survive, are enshrined in European folklore and embedded in superstition. References to them go back more than 200 years. The publication of John Polidori’s The Vampyre in 1819 had a major impact and that was followed by Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic Dracula.
“If the need arose to kill a vampire particular methods and tools were advised. Items of religious significance, such as crucifixes and Bibles, were said to repel the monsters, hence their presence in the kits.
“This example contains a composite collection of 19th century items. In the 20th century, kits like this were created to sell as novelty items to horror fans. They were particularly popular during the classic Gothic horror-film era.
“Today these items are sought after for their novelty value and because the vampire myth is still extremely popular. The fascination with all things dark and mysterious means vampires makes appearances in contemporary TV shows, films and literature.”
