Tutankhamun explorer suitcase sells for £12,000
David HarperA suitcase believed to have been owned by the explorer who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun has sold for £12,000 at auction after being found under a bed.
Antiques expert David Harper said the suitcase, bearing a unique design of Egyptologist Howard Carter's initials, was gifted to his colleague John Healey before he died.
When Mr Healey died in the early 1970s, the suitcase was kept under his son's bed in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
Mr Harper said it is a "very special day" after he previously estimated the suitcase would sell for between £1,000 to £1,500.
Carter and his team are credited with discovering the treasures of King Tut's tomb during a 1922 dig inside the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.
Mr Harper, from Barnard Castle, said he was approached by the suitcase's owner - Mr Healey's son - because he wanted to sell it.
Carter and Mr Healey were "firm mates" as they worked together in Egypt in the 1930s, Mr Harper said.
David HarperDavid Elstob, of Elstob Auctioneers which led the bidding, said he was "astonished" to come across the suitcase.
"We sell lots and lots of unique objects, but this was a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said.
"I was just astonished really."
Mr Elstob added it was a difficult thing to value and believed anything under £5,000 would have been cheap.
The suitcase eventually sold for a hammer price of £12,000, not including a 30% buyer's premium.
Mr Harper told BBC Radio Tees: "This is a very special day. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to ring my client.
"He'll probably be so dumbfounded he'll need five minutes to recover."
Mr Harper added he had been contacted by people from all over the world including museums, so he "knew something exciting was going to happen".
While the antiques expert does not know who the buyer is, he is hoping they get in touch.