(Paramount, 1981) This model miniature lid to the Ark of the Covenant was produced during the production of the 1981 blockbuster film Raiders of the Lost Ark. At the climax of the film, after the Ark has been opened and the ghosts have swarmed the Nazis, the lid of the Ark flies high into the sky and then lands firmly on the base, sealing the Ark once again. This shot was accomplished with a lightweight model miniature of the Ark top that could be blown upwards easily with compressed air. The Ark lid shown here was made during production but not finished or used for the shot, possibly due to some bubbling in the gold vacu-metalizing. It includes unfinished resin castings of some of the trim detail that would go around the edge of the lid, also made at the time of production. A rare piece relating to the title artifact of the original Indiana Jones picture. This film received the 1982 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Measures 4 ¾ in. x 3 in.

Estimate $1,000 – $1,500