This lot will be auctioned on Tuesday, November 9th. The auction will begin at 3:00pm GMT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on November 10th or November 11th.
A life-size statue of Medusa from Desmond Davis' fantasy-adventure film Clash of the Titans signed by Ray Harryhausen. Perseus (Harry Hamlin) battled Medusa in her Underworld lair, decapitating her so he could use her head to defeat the Kraken. Medusa was designed and created by legendary visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen, who throughout his seven-decade career used stop-motion animation to bring many beloved fantastical creatures to life.
This statue was produced from a digital scan of the original Medusa puppet created by Harryhausen for filming. It was displayed as part of the "Myths and Legends" exhibition at the London Film Museum in 2010, where a special 90th birthday celebration for Harryhausen was held in conjunction with the exhibition's opening. The statue also appears in Gilles Penso's 2011 documentary Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan.
The highly detailed statue is made of dense biscuit foam with a fibreglass resin skin and a varnished finish. Several snakes are intertwined with its synthetic orange-coloured hair, and Medusa's demonic face features a pair of piercing eyes and a set of sharp teeth. The upper half of her body shows scaly reptilian skin painted in shades of green, and the lower half consists of a coiled rattlesnake tail, painted brown. She has a snake wrapped around her right arm and holds a cream-coloured arrow in her left hand. Medusa also wears a brown quiver on her back, containing three removable faux arrows; the quiver is signed in gold-coloured ink by Harryhausen.
The statue is presented on a large rectangular wooden base, designed to resemble stone, although it is not attached. There are signs of wear to the statue's paint finish in places, with marks on the quiver. Some minor sympathetic restoration has been undertaken on the right hand, snakes, and tail. Dimensions (displayed): 248 cm x 250 cm x 239 cm (97½" x 98½" x 94")
This lot is oversized, and shipping charges will be significant, especially if the lot is shipping internationally. Crating and other special handling may be required depending on destination. Shipping charges are solely the buyer's responsibility; please ask any questions prior to bidding and see notice in the Buyer's Guide.
Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000 M