Teddy to mark 'Titanic' loss sells for £91,000

A small black teddy bear, one of only 600 commissioned for a country in mourning after the sinking of the Titanic, was sold for £91,750 yesterday - the second highest price for a bear sold at auction.

A small black teddy bear, one of only 600 commissioned for a country in mourning after the sinking of the Titanic, was sold for £91,750 yesterday - the second highest price for a bear sold at auction.

When the "unsinkable" ship went down on 14 April 1912, more than 1,500 people perished. A few weeks later, Steiff, the German teddy bear manufacturer, produced a number of black bears for sale in Britain to mark the tragedy.

The original owner of the bear sold yesterday took an immediate dislike to it, and it was left in a cupboard for nearly 90 years. A spokeswoman for Christie's said the bear was in exceptional condition due to its long incarceration.

"It is an amazing price and everyone is delighted," the spokeswoman said. "The bidding was really fierce."

Also included in the annual teddy bear auction was a Sooty glove puppet belonging to Harry Corbett, the original presenter of the television show, which sold for £1,527.