Sotheby’s Strikes Back With Its Second ‘Star Wars’ Auction. An Imperial Stormtrooper Helmet Is on the Block (Unfortunately, Baby Yoda Isn’t)

by admin

Dec 2, 2019

artnet

Star Wars
fever is at an all-time high,
between the Baby Yoda frenzy caused by Disney+ series
The Mandolorian
and the anticipation of
Star Wars: The Rise of
Skywalker, opening
December 20th. So it’s apt timing for a new Sotheby’s London sale
of Star Wars paraphernalia. Cheekily dubbed “Star Wars: Return of
the Auction”—it’s Sotheby’s
second Star Wars-related sale—the online auction closes on December
13.

Return of the Jedi promotional
C-3PO helmet (est. £15,000 – 25,000). Image courtesy of
Sotheby’s.

The most notable item among the
100 lots is a prototype of the iconic Imperial Stormtrooper helmet
from Star Wars: Episode
IV–A
New Hope (1977),
estimated to go between £30,000 –
60,000 ($38,800–77,600).

The Empire Strikes Back character
size gauge chart by Ivor Beddoes (1978-79) (est. £10,000 – 15,000).
Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.

Also on the high end is a shiny
gold promotional C-3PO head from Return of the Jedi (1983) estimated at £15,000 –
25,000 ($19,400–32,300);
the original 1977 concept art for the American promotional campaign
by Tom Jung, estimated at £15,000 –
20,000 ($19,400 – 25,800); and a character size chart made for the
effects model-making department (the little Jawa being the
smallest, and Chewbacca being the biggest, with Yoda—a late
addition to the film—being notably absent) by storyboard artist
Ivor Beddoes for The
Empire Strikes Back (1980), estimated at £10,000–15,000
($12,900–19,400).

Han Solo 12-inch figure (1978) (est.
£400 – 600). Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.

Other noteworthy lots include a
rare poster for the Russian theatrical run of the first
Star Wars film, which did not reach Russia until 1990; an
8-inch AM radio in the shape of R2-D2, only available to winners of
a contest run by Coca-Cola in Japan; and a Han Solo laser pistol
still in its original packaging.

Christmas card and envelope (1980) (est.
£100 – 200). Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.

The previous Sotheby’s Star Wars
auction in 2015 was more idiosyncratic, and arguably more
interesting. Named “Return of the NIGO”—the sale was made up
entirely of Japanese fashion designer NIGO’s super-collection—the
auction featured a Hungarian Boba Fett toy alongside oddities like
cookie jars, a 42-inch Chewbacca plush toy, and a Darth Vader
lightsaber signed by James Earl Jones.

Most of the NIGO collection went
above estimate, with the highlight being a Canadian 7-pack of
figurines that went for $32,500. The NIGO sale took in over
$500,000. We’ll see if the force is still with Sotheby’s this
second time around.

The post Sotheby’s Strikes Back With Its Second ‘Star Wars’
Auction. An Imperial Stormtrooper Helmet Is on the Block
(Unfortunately, Baby Yoda Isn’t) appeared first on artnet
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