Saturday 5 November 2011 · John Lennon · Memorabilia · Auctions
A molar attributed to John Lennon sold for £19,500 at Omega Auctions in Stockport on 5 November 2011. The buyer was Canadian dentist Dr Michael Zuk, who bid by telephone from Alberta.
The discoloured tooth, which had a visible cavity, came from the family of Dorothy “Dot” Jarlett, Lennon’s former housekeeper at Kenwood in Weybridge, Surrey. It was offered with her sworn affidavit describing its provenance.
John Lennon’s tooth auction: key facts
| Date | Saturday 5 November 2011 |
|---|---|
| Auctioneer | Omega Auctions |
| Location | Stockport, England |
| Item | A discoloured molar attributed to John Lennon, with an obvious cavity |
| Pre-sale estimate | £10,000–£20,000 |
| Hammer price | £19,500 |
| Auction commission recorded by Guinness | £3,510 |
| Total recorded by Guinness | £23,010 |
| Buyer | Dr Michael Zuk, a dentist based in Alberta, Canada |
| Provenance | The family of Dorothy “Dot” Jarlett, supported by her sworn affidavit |
Dot Jarlett and the Kenwood years
Dot Jarlett worked as housekeeper at Lennon’s Kenwood home in Weybridge approximately between 1964 and 1968. Lennon developed a warm relationship with her family and called her “Aunty Dot”. The auction description also recalled that he named his dog Bernard after her husband.
The Jarlett family had received a number of gifts from Lennon over the years. Some had previously been sold through Sotheby’s. The tooth had remained with the family until the 2011 sale.
According to the family’s account, Lennon initially asked Dot to dispose of the tooth, then suggested that she give it to her daughter, who was a Beatles fan. Her son Barry later recounted the exchange in coverage preceding the auction.
The auction catalogue described the molar as discoloured and containing an obvious cavity. It was accompanied by a sworn affidavit from Dot attesting to its history.
Michael Zuk’s winning telephone bid
Zuk bought the tooth over the telephone during Omega’s rock and pop memorabilia sale. Contemporary reports identified him as an Alberta-based dentist and said that he intended to display it at his dental practice.
The lot had an estimate of £10,000–£20,000. The £19,500 hammer price placed it near the top of that range and attracted international news coverage.
Omega’s Karen Fairweather had described it before the sale as an exceptionally unusual piece of memorabilia. Zuk’s professional interest in dentistry made the purchase a particularly distinctive addition to his collection.
Why £19,500 and £23,010 both appear in accounts
The £19,500 figure reported on the day was the final hammer price. Guinness World Records records a further £3,510 in auction-house commission, bringing the total to £23,010.
The Guinness entry identifies Zuk as the buyer and gives the sale date as 5 November 2011. It lists the transaction under the record for the most expensive tooth sold at auction.
| Part of the purchase | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hammer price | £19,500 |
| Auction-house commission | £3,510 |
| Total recorded by Guinness | £23,010 |
The tooth’s provenance
The sale relied on the Jarlett family’s account and Dot’s sworn affidavit. Fairweather told CNN before the auction that the tooth was too fragile for DNA testing, but that Omega had confidence in its provenance because it came directly from Dot.
Guinness describes it as a tooth reported to have belonged to Lennon. The surviving documentation records the family history behind the object rather than a DNA-confirmed identification.
Another unusual Beatles auction on 5 November
Three years earlier, reports on the same calendar date had covered the sale of a very different Beatles artefact: a two-minute silent colour film of the band at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City in September 1964.
That reel fetched £4,100 at Cameo Auctioneers on 4 November 2008. Read the related 5 November report on the Kansas City footage auction.
For another Lennon event on this date, explore John and Yoko’s New York Daily News interview of 5 November 1971.
John Lennon in the collection
The John Lennon Shine On T-shirt features multicoloured lyric lettering and a Lennon signature design.
Frequently asked questions
When was John Lennon’s tooth sold?
The tooth was sold at Omega Auctions in Stockport on 5 November 2011.
Who bought the tooth?
Dr Michael Zuk, a dentist based in Alberta, Canada, bought it by telephone bid.
How much did it cost?
The hammer price was £19,500. Guinness records a total of £23,010 including £3,510 in auction-house commission.
Who had kept the tooth?
It had remained with the family of Dorothy “Dot” Jarlett, Lennon’s housekeeper at Kenwood during the 1960s.
What was the auction estimate?
The lot was estimated at £10,000–£20,000.
Was the tooth’s identity established by DNA testing?
No DNA confirmation was reported for the 2011 sale. Omega said it was too fragile to test and relied on its direct Jarlett family provenance and Dot’s sworn affidavit.
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