Kurt Cobain's cigarette-burned sweater sells for $334,000

A quarter century after grunge's enigmatic rhapsodist took his own life, Kurt Cobain's iconic cigarette-singed cardigan worn during Nirvana's 1993 "Unplugged" performance has sold for $334,000.

Kurt Cobain's cardigan from Nirvana's 1993 MTV Unplugged performance is on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City ahead of the auction of Julien's Auctions on October 21, 2019 in New York City. A quarter century after grunge's enigmatic rhapsodist took his own life, Kurt Cobain's iconic cigarette-singed cardigan worn during Nirvana's 1993 "Unplugged" performance is up for sale. The tattered faded green button-up sweater with dark stains and a burn hole could go for at least $200,000 to $300,000, according to pre-bidding estimates from Julien's Auctions, which says rock and roll memorabilia has become a major investor's market.[Photo: Johannes EISELE/AFP]

The tattered, olive-green, Manhattan-brand, button-up sweater, which has never been washed since Cobain wore it, came with dark stains and a burn hole.

The seller, Garrett Kletjian, owner of Forty7 Motorsports, bought it four years ago for $137,500.

"This cardigan, it's the holy grail of any article of clothing that he ever wore," said Darren Julien, CEO and president of Julien's Auctions.

"Kurt created the grunge look; he didn't wear show clothes," Julien told AFP at a New York exhibition preview.

The auction house had predicted it would fetch $200,000-300,000.

The music cable channel MTV began its "Unplugged" series in 1989, recording live performances of acts that generally played their normally electrified music on sparse acoustics.

Cobain's haunting "Unplugged" performance with Nirvana -- recorded less than six months before his suicide at age 27 -- is considered one of the most iconic shows of the series, and was released posthumously.

Already deep into an emotional, drug-addled downward spiral, the depressive but singular talent with ocean-blue eyes reportedly lamented to "Unplugged" programmer Amy Finnerty after the set that the audience seemed not to like the show.

"Kurt," she told him, "they think you are Jesus Christ."

Cobain's left-handed Fender Mustang guitar, which he used during the band's "In Utero" tour, sold for $340,000.