Man goes on Antiques Roadshow with Ark of the Covenant from Indiana Jones
Man goes on Antiques Roadshow with Ark of the Covenant from Indiana Jones
With his latest adventure hitting cinemas just last month, many fans are looking back on the previous entries in the adventures of Indiana Jones.
Though fans may squabble about which film reigns supreme, there's no question that Raiders of the Lost Ark has the most iconic set pieces.
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The giant boulder that chases Indy out of a temple is memorable enough.
But the artefact at the centre of the 1981 movie is also iconic in its own right.
Viewers may recall that the Ark of the Covenant was sought after by the Nazis, but once it was opened, it made people's heads explode.
Your head might just explode as well once you hear how much a prototype of the Ark would go for at auction.
Or you might just cry yourself to sleep that you won't be having such a handsome payday any time soon.
In 2020, a prototype of the Ark was brought onto Antiques Roadshow by the son of one of the men who were responsible for the film's special effects.
Speaking to appraiser James Supp, the man said: "I thought it was neat.
"I got to tell my friends that I had the Ark of the Covenant at home."
When asked if he ever hid in it, the man admitted that the family kept blankets inside of it.
That's probably wise - you wouldn't want to risk demonic ghosts coming out of it.
He continued: "My father worked for Industrial Light & Magic in the 80s.
"He worked on Star Wars, Raiders, Star Trek.
"I knew George Lucas, he was wonderful."
Industrial Light & Magic was the special effects house founded by George Lucas.
Founded in 1975, they would go on to do the effects for Back to the Future, Labyrinth and Jurassic Park, among others.
The man admits that the Ark he brought along was not the one used in the final film.
He explained: "[It] was used to size the pyro.
"The Ark they used is significantly smaller.
"The details are different, as you know.
"But this is one of the first prototypes, maybe the first prototype."
Supp even said that the prototype before him was the closest anybody in the private market could come to owning the Ark.
So, how much was this piece of film history going for?
Brace yourselves.
Supp said: "We estimate, at auction, a very conservative value of $80,000 to $120,000."
"Not bad for hot glue and spray paint", the man conceded.
I guess that's a longer way of saying 'I'm rich!'
With Supp saying that he could even see the prop going for a quarter of a million, it's easy to understand why Indy and the Nazis were so desperate to get their hands on the artefact.
Topics: TV and Film, Antiques Roadshow
Ben Thompson