Phil Redmond with the "Mandy" Mandala Superlambanana _320

THE most expensive Superlambanana, auctioned off following the recent Go Superlambananas 2008 festival, has been bought by the city’s culture supremo for the people of Liverpool.

Mandy Mandala Superlam--banana, a figure of peace, hope and unity, now stands at the entrance to the Museum of Liverpool, after it was bought by Phil Redmond.

As the new chairman of National Museums Liverpool, Mr Redmond and his wife, Alexis, bid £25,000 at the auction last month.

Mr Redmond declared his purchase as “preserving the Superlambanana for thousands of years for the people of Liverpool”.

As Mandy was moved into her new home, artist and creator Patricia Lee said she was delight-ed, as she had expected it to end up in someone’s back garden.

Mrs Lee said: “Mandy Mandala is inspired by Eastern culture, meditation and calmness. The round discs are based on patterns drawn by Tibetan monks. She took a long time to make and many late nights to finish.

“I thought she would end up in someone’s garden so I’m grateful Phil and his wife have bought her so she can be seen by visitors to the museum.”

Mandy was originally on display at the bottom of Princes Boulevard, Toxteth, as part of Go Superlambananas 2008, which saw 125 figurines across the city.

But she wasn’t Mr Redmond’s only buy, with him successfully bidding for three others, including Peel Superlambanana. He said: “Since my involvement with the museum, I have realised the importance of museums in gathering and storing our history.

“I bid for Mandy because I thought she best represented the Superlambanana project, and it’s important that she is now the property of the museum for the people of Liverpool.

“Other Superlambananas will face their fate in unknown loca-tions across the centuries, but Mandy will remain at the museum.”

The museum had hoped to buy Mandy but, as the price rose they were outbid, leaving Mr Redmond to step in and secure the purchase as a surprise.

But the museum successfully bid for “Five-a-day Superlam-banana” which is touring schools in Kensington, where some pupils helped paint him.

David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool, said: “Mandy is possibly the most spectacular of all the Superlam-bananas.

“Imagine our dismay when the bidding for Mandy went beyond our reach, and imagine our delight when Phil and Alexis Redmond stepped in and ensured that Mandy was bought on our behalf. Now Mandy is owned by the people of Liverpool. I am sure she will bring delight to museum visitors for generations to come, as a reminder of the invasion of our streets by these extraordinary creatures.”

He added: “There is talk of a reunion next year to bring together once more some of the spectacular Superlambananas.”

Mandy will eventually go on permanent display in the Museum of Liverpool, the new national museum located on Liverpool’s world- famous waterfront.

laurasharpe