Kiss N Sell: Teacup Used by Lady Gaga Fetches £46,000 in Auction

A Narumi branded teacup and saucer once used by Lady Gaga, complete with lipstick marks and an autograph, has been auctioned for £46,000 in Japan. According to a report in The Sun, the cup was used at a news conference in Tokyo, three months after the tsunami of 2011. The cup also has "We pray for Japan" written on it.

Apparently the singer pledged to sell the cup to support relief efforts and the blue, white and gold cup has not been washed since the pop star drank from it.

There were more than 1,300 bids during the week-long auction, conducted by Yahoo Japan. The money raised by the sale will be used to help young Japanese artists who wish to study in the US and will be given under the aegis of the Tomodachi Arts Fellowship.

This particular auction had one proviso - the bidder has to produce payment before bidding.

Meanwhile, the most expensive item at the auction was a Kawai crystal piano used by Yoshiki of Japan X - a rock band - which went for £85,000. Lady Gaga's cup was second.

The natural disaster that struck the country's northeast coast last year killed 19,000 people and also triggered a nuclear disaster that led to the decline of tourism in the country. Pop star Lady Gaga visited Japan twice after the incident and will visit again between 10 May and 13 May, as part of her "Born This Way" concert tour. The Lady Gaga concerts will happen at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo.

Meanwhile, even though the star has hardcore admirers across the world, she does have her share of enemies. She does not seem to be a favourite among the many Muslim groups in Indonesia, a fact which could create trouble given she is expected to perform on 3 June in Jakarta. In particular, a group that calls itself Islamic Defenders' Front (IDF) has expressed their disappointment at the star's arrival, saying she promotes devil worship. There were also allegations against Lady Gaga accusing her of promoting homosexuality by a Christian group in South Korea.

"Lady Gaga insults all religions. Even Christians in Korea opposed her. She is promoting the worship of Satan," said Munarman, a spokesman for the IDF.