London - Dozens of Mohandas Gandhi's personal items have been sold at an auction, but a sample of blood purportedly from the Indian independence leader didn't draw high enough bids.
The memorabilia offered by British auction house Mullock's in Ludlow, England, included a handwritten will, a shawl, a pair of worn leather sandals and a rice bowl said to come from the house in India where Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1934.
One item was described as a bit of Gandhi's blood on two glass microscope slides, said to be provided by the leader when he was recovering from an operation for appendicitis in 1924.
Spokesman Richard Westwood-Brookes said bidding for the blood didn't meet the £10 000 (about R144 000) reserve price. He said about 50 other items took in £287 000 (about R4,1 million) on Tuesday. - Sapa-AP