The belongings of a world-renowned cellist are expected to fetch "tens of thousands of pounds," when they go under the hammer next month.

Handwritten letters, school reports and a childhood teddy bear are just some of the items belonging to British cellist Jacqueline du Pre that are up for auction at Gardiner Holgate in Corsham, Wiltshire.

Du Pre performed her first cello concert at the age of seven and went on to become one of the most renowned instrumentalists of the 20th century before her death in 1987.

"Most items in the sale were in boxes, having been stored in our homes for decades," said Hilary Finzi, du Pre's sister.

"Unboxing and unwrapping everything brought memories flooding back to us, together with many tears," she added.

"Mum and dad had kept everything, we had to."

The collection will be sold across two auctions, the first of which will take place on 4 September and includes 100 lots.

"What we have here is a remarkable archive of Jacqueline du Pre's personal ephemera," said Jamie South, auctioneer at Gardiner Houlgate.

"Nothing like it has come to public auction before," he added.

"These items tell the story of Jacqueline du Pre's life, through her letters and documents, we see her becoming the most talented cellist in the world and then her tragic decline.

"It's an extraordinary glimpse into the very soul of this great performer."

"How much this collection sells for is almost impossible to predict," he added.

"Our small sale of 20 lots last year realised over £25,000 [so] I'm anticipating September's sale to be in the tens of thousands of pounds."

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