Paris Olympic torches and Dionysus crown from Seine opening ceremony up for auction

PARIS — Torches from the Paris Olympics and the crown and wreath of Dionysus worn by singer Philippe Katerine during the opening ceremony are up for auction.

Profits from the sale will go to charity groups, organizers said.

One of the torches was carried by one of the mysterious masked torchbearers moving across the rooftops of Paris during the ceremony on the Seine.

Also on sale are many of the costumes used during the acclaimed but boundary-pushing spectacle, including Marie Antoinette’s dresses.

The auction will take place on April 13 at the Stade Charléty in Paris.

During the ceremony, Katerine appeared lounging on a rug, painted in powdery blue from head to toe and seemingly clad in just a smattering of leaves and flowers. He was channeling Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivity, with a song about “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”

Not everyone, however, enjoyed the ceremony, which prompted a storm of outrage in the wake of a contentious scene featuring drag queens and other performers. Several people charged in connection with alleged cyberbullying targeting the ceremony's artistic director went on trial last month in a Paris court.