Custom-designed Jackson furniture up for auction

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Some 22 pieces of elaborate furniture custom-made for Michael Jackson, including a leather armchair embellished with crystals and gold leaf, will be auctioned off in June, organizers said on Friday.

Julien's Auctions said the furniture was ordered by the "Thriller" singer for a home near London he planned to rent during a series of 50 comeback concerts in England last year.

The collection, commissioned by Jackson from Italian luxury furniture maker Colombostile, includes a pair of red velvet armchairs embroidered with eagles, a leopard print armchair trimmed with ostrich feathers and a red velvet and gilt sofa.

The furniture carries estimated auction prices ranging from $16,500 to $150,000 per item.

Jackson, 50, died in Los Angeles on June 25 from an overdose of a powerful anesthetic given to help him sleep during the rehearsal period for his "This Is It" concerts.

Jackson' personal doctor Conrad Murray pleaded not guilty last month to involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death, and is on bail awaiting trial in Los Angeles.

The auction will take place in Las Vegas on June 25 and will be preceded by exhibitions in Ireland and Las Vegas that re-create how Jackson's London residence might have looked with the custom-designed furniture in it, Julien's said.

The auction also will include dozens of other items from Jackson's life and career, such as a signed jacket he wore for his hit "Beat It", another of his signature white crystal gloves, and paintings from his Neverland Ranch in California.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)