This lot will be auctioned on Thursday, November 3rd. 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 Friday, November 4th; Saturday, November 5th; or Sunday, November 6th.

A hero Tauntaun creature head from Irvin Kershner's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Both Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) rode Tauntauns on the ice planet Hoth.

Originally designed by Phil Tippett, who created and animated the stop-motion puppets used in wide shots, the full-size versions were built by legendary make-up effects artist Stuart Freeborn and his team. Different versions of the full-size creature were made for the production, and this particular head remains as one of only two surviving Tauntauns to this day, with the other in George Lucas' archives.

The Tauntaun features foam latex skin over a rigid polyurethane foam skull. It features plastic eyes with the remnants of the original mechanism which locked the eyeballs together and allowed them to move via cables; tubes which were used to pump smoke through the nostrils, imitating breath; springs used to open and close the jaw; resin teeth; faux fur on the chin and brows; and a nylon strap and aluminium bridle.

The skin had deteriorated over the years and has undergone sympathetic restoration, most notably around the nostrils, upper lip areas, and around the sides of the jaw, meaning it is now in a stable condition. The paint was blended with the rest of the head, leaving as much original paintwork as possible. The foam over the main part of the upper face remains intact.

It was restored by Tom Spina Designs and creatively mounted on the neck display cast from the original Tauntaun moulds, with the horns sculpted from references. It was previously displayed at a Planet Hollywood restaurant for 10 years. Dimensions (head on display): 167 cm x 61 cm x 57 cm (66" x 24" x 22 1/2")

Special shipping required: see special shipping notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Estimate: £60,000 - 100,000 M

View all lots from STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

View all lots from the STAR WARS FRANCHISE