Bed with condoms, worn knickers, cigarette butts and vodka bottles Turner Prize nominated piece sold for £2.2million at Christie’s, LondonSeller Charles Saatchi had expected to net between £800,000 and £1.2m Emin.

A dirty old bed labelled a “piece of art” created by Tracey Emin’s and titled the “Tracy Emin’s My Bed Artwork” has sold for £2.2million to an anonymous buyer at Christie’s in London on Tuesday night.

Prior to the auction the artist wanted the controversial unmade bed artwork to stay in the UK - but that she doubted this would be possible as there would be no-one who could afford it.

Turner Prize shortlisted My Bed is a dishevelled monument to ‘ladette’ culture, surrounded by used condoms, worn knickers, cigarette butts and vodka bottles.

Charles Saatchi, who paid £150,000 in 2000 for My Bed, one of the key works of the Young British Artist movement, sold it to support the work of the Saatchi Gallery Foundation.

Ahead of the sale, Emin, 50, said she would prefer the work go on display rather than vanish into a private collection, but doubted anywhere could produce the necessary cash.

Tracy Emin told the Evening Standard: ‘I feel kind of philosophical about it. The Tate really want it but they haven’t any money. No one has any money to buy it.’