V&A Museum buys iconic Stones lips

LONDON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- London's Victoria and Albert Museum has reportedly bought the original design for The Rolling Stones' iconic tongue and lips logo for about $100,000.

Inspired by the mouth of Stones front man Mick Jagger, the symbol first appeared on the band's "Sticky Fingers" album.

The Daily Telegraph said the V&A museum of decorative arts and design paid about $100,000 at an auction in the United States for the original image created by Royal College of Art student John Pasche in 1970.

The Art Fund financed 50 percent of the logo's price tag. The museum paid for the rest and is expected to install the piece in its permanent collection, the newspaper said.

"The Rolling Stones' Tongue is one of the first examples of a group using branding and it has become arguably the world's most famous rock logo," Victoria Broakes, head of exhibitions of the V&A Theatre and Performance Collections, told the Telegraph.

"We are delighted to have acquired the original artwork, especially as it was designed at the Royal College of Art right here in South Kensington by a student who used to visit the V&A's collections for inspiration. We are very grateful for the Art Fund's support in helping us acquire this exciting addition to our collections."