How much would you pay for a t-shirt? US$10? $15? How about $46,000? No? How about if it was super rare and one-of-a-kind and had been signed by the Lady herself?
If your answer is still no, then we understand. However, there are some people out there who would say yes.
At an auction last Friday to raise funds for the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation — the charity established by Aung San Suu Kyi in memory of her late mother — one man forked out $46,00 for a shirt bearing one of the paintings that Suu Kyi made while she was placed under house arrest by the military junta.
Initially, the plan was to sell the painting itself. Online, the bids started at a baseline price of $5,000, but quickly increased to $150,000 in less than a week.
However, citizens reached out to the foundation to express their disapproval towards the idea of one individual owning such a significant piece of art.
As a result, the group took down the painting, instead printing it on a t-shirt and bidding off the latter. The art itself will remain within the foundation.
Other items that were auctioned off on Friday included jewelry and a travel package. Unsigned t-shirts and mugs were also sold, but let’s be honest — no one really cares about those.
Soe Naing Tun, who is the lucky new owner of the t-shirt, said that the Lady’s signature was what drove him to offer so much money for a piece of fabric.
“I bid until I won because of Mother Suu’s precious signature. I really respect her spirit of resisting the government for years without becoming depressed. I will keep it in my house for the time being,” he told the Myanmar Times.
Ohn Mar Moe Myint, an executive board member of the foundation, told the Times, “I believe this auction – and the person who paid such a huge amount of money – will help the nation.”
To be honest, if he’s got $46,000 to spare on a t-shirt, we can definitely think of a lot of other ways that he can help the nation with the rest of his money.
Reader Interactions