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A stunt Necronomicon Ex-Mortis from Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II. Archaeologist Raymond Knowby (John Peaks) discovered the ancient book known as the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis or "Book of the Dead" with his family, began to study it, and made recordings of reciting the passages, which unleashed the evil force of the Kandarian Demon.

Created by horror and science-fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft for the 1924 short story The Hound, the Necronomicon was featured in all three films of the original Evil Dead trilogy. Evil Dead II, the higher-budget horror-comedy sequel to Raimi's cult classic horror film The Evil Dead, launched the careers of director Raimi and star Bruce Campbell, solidifying their status as horror legends. The sequel introduced a number of the franchise's most celebrated elements, including Ash Williams' (Campbell) stump-mounted chainsaw hand and a redesign of the Necronomicon that many fans consider to be its most memorable and iconic iteration.

This stunt Necronomicon book comes from the personal collection of special effects artist Tom Sullivan. It features a slip latex cover cast from a mold taken from one of Sullivan's original sculptures, mounted over a cardboard inner shell. The cover depicts a grotesque face with two eyes, a small nose, and a gaping mouth, and it is painted in a mix of brown and burnt umber acrylics.

The book contains 20 pages of parchment-colored paper, which were aged by production through a process of soaking in tea, air-drying, and baking in an oven. According to Sullivan, four stunt copies and one hero version of the Necronomicon were created for Evil Dead II, with the stunt versions assembled by Sullivan himself, and bookbinding assistance provided by Brian Rae. Many of the pages in the Evil Dead II book were enlarged reproductions from the original Evil Dead Necronomicon. A few new illustrations were also created for the sequel, and photocopies of those artworks were incorporated into the stunt book.

Some of the middle pages have become unattached from the binding, and this Necronomicon exhibits fragility in the binding, slip latex, and paper, and should be handled with care. Dimensions: 8" x 10.5" x 2.5" (20.25 cm x 26.75 cm x 6.5 cm)

Sold without copyright; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Additional Provenance: Letter of Authenticity from Tom Sullivan.

Estimate: $50,000 - 100,000

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