More than £600,000 has been raised for baby charity Tommy’s through the sale of wooden blocks decorated by some of the world’s biggest stars.
The blocks were donated by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and made in tulipwood supplied free by International Timber.
At the auction the individual pieces raised staggering sums during the auction at Bloomberg in London, including £40,000 for a minimalist creation by Damien Hirst and similar amounts for others designed by fellow artists Antony Gormley and Fernando Botero.
Other famous names to design blocks included Hugh Grant, Michael Douglas, JK Rowling and Sir Paul McCartney. Most blocks were sold in the preceding weeks via an internet auction.
AHEC has been promoting the versatility, mechanical properties and sustainability of tulipwood for several years.
Tommy’s, based at St Thomas’s Hospital in London, raises money for research into miscarriages and premature birth.
