Hand-crocheted yarmulke with musical notes auctioned off by Sotheby's
By AMY SPIROFrank Sinatra's kippa(photo credit: SOTHEBY’S)
A hand-crocheted kippa that once belonged to Frank Sinatra was auctioned off by Sotheby's over the weekend for $9,375.The item was part of an extensive sale of items belonging to the late Barbara and Frank Sinatra; the auction fetched over $9 million overall.Sotheby's estimated the yarmulke would sell for $200-400, but the final bid was close to 25 times that amount. The auction house did not say who crocheted the kippa or how Frank came to own it. The description of the item, rather, noted that "Sinatra was a lifelong sympathizer with Jewish causes, and was awarded the Hollzer Memorial Award by the Los Angeles Jewish Community in 1949."Frank Sinatra died in 1998 and his wife of 22 years, Barbara, died last year.A separate item sold in the auction was the final script for a short 1945 film titled The House I Live In. The film, written by Sinatra and Albert Maltz, was designed to combat antisemitism and promote religious freedom in America. Sinatra plays himself, taking a break from recording an album, and stepping outside to smoke a cigarette. He sees a group of boys chasing a Jewish boy and stops and lectures them about the importance of respect for all religions.The script, which includes hand annotations by Sinatra, was sold for $4,375.
