A bullet-proof waistcoat decorated with the Union Jack, created by British street artist Banksy, and similar to one worn by hip-hop star Stormzy at the Glastonbury festival, sold for £780,000 (€932,000) at Sotheby's in London on Wednesday.
The waistcoat, made from old police clothing, is one of five created by the graffiti artist to highlight the high levels of knife crime in the UK. It was valued at £300,000.
British rapper Stormzy made the waistcoats famous when he wore one from the same collection at his 2019 concert on Glastonbury's main stage.
Emma Baker, head of contemporary art sales evenings at Sotheby's, noted that Banksy manages to powerfully condense a complex social issue through a flamboyant object.
“There is no doubt this artwork is more pertinent now than when the first vest debuted at Glastonbury – an event that saw it become the symbol of a defining cultural moment,” she said.
Last month, London police charged two men with burglary after Banksy's ‘Girl with Balloon’ was stolen from a gallery in the UK capital.
