Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, March 26th. The auction will begin at 10:30AM PDT 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 Thursday, March 27th or Friday, March 28th.

A Mosep "Walrus" (Erica Simmons) cantina alien mask from George Lucas' Star Wars: A New Hope and Richard Marquand's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Mosep first appeared in the Mos Eisley cantina as a background patron, and was also seen on the streets of Mos Eisley. Later, he reappeared as one of the guests in Jabba's Palace while Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) attempted to rescue Han Solo (Harrison Ford).

This mask was made by Stuart Freeborn and his team for Star Wars: A New Hope and was later re-used in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. During the first film's production, the character was referred to as "Walrus" (not to be confused with the well-known Star Wars character "Walrusman" aka Ponda Baba). Actress Erica Simmons played Mosep in the first film and appeared inside the cantina as well as on the streets of Mos Eisley. Stuart Freeborn and his team, which included his wife, Kay, and son, Graham, and key assistant Nick Maley, created two "Walrus" aliens. This mask is one of the two, with the other distinguished by its red hair. When production began on Return of the Jedi, Stuart Freeborn provided a photo of all existing masks from the prior films and production (presumably George Lucas himself) gave a "yes" or "no" verdict on reusing the masks in Return of the Jedi. This was one of several that made the cut and was featured in the palace.

Mosep, or "Walrus," is memorable to Star Wars fans as it had a key role in early Marvel Star Wars comics, where the comic artists based Jabba's look on that of this specific Freeborn alien. Footage had been shot during production of an unmasked actor as Jabba, with intent to matte a stop-motion character over him later. Without additional direction on what Jabba looked like, Marvel artists picked an existing cantina alien and modeled him on that.

One of the few cantina aliens to ever become available at public auction, this walrus-like mask is made of foam latex painted in yellow and peach tones. It features hand-punched white synthetic hair, smoked eye lenses with hand-punched eyelashes, two ears, and a production-made cut up the back. The character's neck was made separately as many of the masks Freeborn created for the first Star Wars film were originally made without necks and later was discovered to be an issue when they were dressed in their costumes. Freeborn worked alongside costume designer John Mollo to remedy this with a combination of added-on necks and high collars to the wardrobe. The costumes worn in the first film are burgundy versions of the Imperial Officer tunics (possibly real-world tunics) with Imperial Officer style belts and boots. Minor stabilization and preservation work was carried out on the piece by Tom Spina Designs, including repair to a small tear in the neck. A full support form was also built for the mask, including a support for the neck to help preserve the piece for the future.

Also included is a Letter of Authenticity signed by Stuart Freeborn on Freeborn's personal letterhead, which features a picture of the artist under the headline "Stuart Freeborn - Creative makeup and creature effects." The letter also notes Freeborn's contributions to the creature and makeup effects departments on such films as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Superman, The Omen, and Top Secret.

This lot exhibits cracks in the foam, pitting around the eyes and ears, and discoloration from age, but remains in remarkable condition for its age, having been carefully preserved by Stuart Freeborn for many years. Dimensions: 15.5" x 14" x 26" (39.5 cm x 35.75 cm x 66.25 cm)

Estimate: $60,000 - 120,000