Darth Vader's iconic lightsaber prop is set to go under the hammer for the first time, with an estimated value of up to £2.2 million.
The pivotal duelling weapon, featured in the 1980s films Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, will be offered at a live auction in September.
Hosted by memorabilia auction house Propstore, the sale coincides with the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. The prop is estimated to fetch between £746,000 and £2,241,000.
It was famously wielded by David Prowse's Darth Vader during climactic duels against Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker in the final acts of both movies.
It was also used by the stunt performer and British Olympic fencer, Bob Anderson.
According to the auction house, genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy are rare with this “believed to be the only hero lightsaber prop from the original Star Wars trilogy with verifiable screen use ever to be offered at public auction”.
Brandon Alinger, chief operating officer at Propstore, said: “The lightsaber, or laser sword as it was initially called, was imagined by George Lucas as the perfect defensive weapon for a more sophisticated age.
“Nearly 50 years after the first Star Wars film, lightsabers are a universally recognised symbol of the world’s most beloved film franchise and are consistently ranked as the most iconic and memorable props of all time.
“They are the ‘ruby slippers’ of cinema’s modern era. Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of films are exceedingly rare, and Propstore is honoured to present this historic artefact in our September sale.
“It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world. This lightsaber is simply everything you want it to be — one of the most significant Star Wars artefacts ever. One of the most significant cinema artefacts ever.”
The lightsaber was made from a vintage British press camera flash handle with components such as plastic grips, calculator bubbles and cosmetic wiring.
It was modified with a wooden rod which was used as a blade during the choreographed fight scenes, making the physical on-camera duelling possible and allowing visual effects artists to add a hand-animated glow for the final shots.
Ahead of the auction, the prop will go on tour and visit London, Beverly Hills and New York throughout August before the live auction takes place in Los Angeles this September.
The tour will feature other film artefacts from Propstore’s September Los Angeles Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, including Indiana Jones’s bullwhip and belt, Sauron’s helmet from the Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring and the shark tooth clapperboard from the 1975 film Jaws.
