Truman Capote's ashes have been sold for more than $40,000 at auction.
The remains, contained in a hand-carved Japanese wooden box, were purchased for $43,750 from Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The prolific author of Breakfast at Tiffany's died in 1984 and his ashes were inherited by his close friend Joanne Carson, who died in 2015 and was the widow of the late talk show host Johnny Carson.
Carson said "having Capote's ashes brought her great comfort," according to the auction house.
Auctioneer Darren Julien told CNN he "anticipated it could sell for over $10,000, but didn't anticipate it going to $45,000."
Julien said the auction was in line with Capote's wishes. "He loved to create press opportunities and to read his name in the paper. I think he would love it that he's still grabbing headlines today," he told The Guardian in August. "Truman told Joanne that he didn't want his ashes to sit on a shelf. So this is a different way of honoring his request. It is just furthering the adventures of Truman Capote."
Other macabre items sold in the "Icons & Idols" auction included the clothes Capote wore at the time of his death, which fetched $6,400, and two separate locks of Marilyn Monroe's hair that sold for over $70,000 collectively.
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