Staff of Ra Head Piece

[VonMagnum]

I realize this thread is a bit old, but I wasn't sure if I should post a new one when it's a bit of a similar question.

I just bought a Staff of Ra Headpiece of eBay that came with the staff top. The seller had no idea who made it. He originally wanted $75 as a starting bid and I asked some questions and he said the staff didn't separate from the headpiece and he was going to go ahead and lower it to $50 as a starting price. No one bought it. He relisted at $45 + shipping and I offered $40 and he accepted. I just got it today and I don't think his photos did it justice, really. It looks better than I thought and a few wiggles confirmed that yes, it does easily detach from the staff top (3-prong connector with a friction fit). I'll attach two photos (front and back; the back has the staff piece attached in the photo) I was just wondering if anyone recognized that design and who made it.

I think for the price, I got a fair deal (the older one I had for $20-something was detailed, but plastic and just for show (I'm using this as a "museum-like" area in the back of my home theater (well there's a few pieces on the front side walls too like Conan's sword and the Hellraiser Lament box). But I think this one's jewel looks much better and it's pretty heavy (assuming pewter underneath and plated in some level of gold plating). I don't know how accurate the outer band is, but it looks a bit thick on the plating, especially on the 'front' picture (you can better see the braiding on the back) and some bits like the tail-feathers lack of the detail of the rest of the feathers, but it's as detailed as the plastic one and in a nice metal finish with a better looking stone (don't know if it's glass or a crystal topaz, but looks better than the clearly plastic one on the other one I have).

I was thinking of getting the RelicMaker "Raven Bar" headpiece, but at that price, I figured one was all I could afford, really and this would make a 'fair' example of the Imam one, even though far from perfect. I still like it better than the $50 "Reel Art" one where the outer edge looks like it's just chiseled out of the edge of the main piece. This one at least looks like it could be soldered, even if the plating is kind of messy.

 

[VonMagnum]

I've been combing through images online to try and figure out which one it is or at least what it's similar to and I found this link (Golden Headpiece of the Staff of Ra from Raiders of the Lost Ark.) matches maybe 95% (very similar base staff, same details on back side almost precisely, lacking the extreme detail of the tail feathers).

That one claims to be from Movies in History and a "crew member" version/gift (and sold supposedly for $60k), but it doesn't match the one in the movie scene as it lacks the tail feather perfection (which was there on the movie one; you couldn't see the front tail feather in the movie). The rope braid in those photos even seem to be slightly "sloppy" in the same spots on the front side if my eyes aren't deceiving me. It's uncanny. There's even a slight dimple in the finish in the same spot and the plating is shinier around the edge than in the detailed part in a very similar manner. Even the staff top is similar (lack of "M" shaped detail around it, except this one looks like one piece insert into the bottom of the headpiece instead of 3-prongs so if anything, this one I have appears to be a copy of that particular headpiece variation with a different insertion shape and perhaps slightly messier on the rope braid even still (hard to tell exacting from glossy shiny photos often at slightly different angles).

Or am I blind to think mine looks very similar to those particular photos? What I don't understand is why a version that claims to be a prop copy made for a crew member lacks the tail feather details, etc. The only thing I can think of is perhaps they did a rush job on the plating for those crew copies or they were unplated and then later plated? I've rotated a snapshot from that site to a similar angle to the movie snapshot and attached a 3-way comparison. Mine certainly looks more like the Profiles in History version than the movie one, IMO (lighting is different; I painted around the history one in black so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb). Oh well, for $48, I'm pretty happy with the quality regardless.

 

[Duncanator]

I may have a possible explanation of the "crew member" feather details.
There was a mold of the headpiece floating around the ILM modelshop in the 90's that had the base area embedded in a hemisphere - obscuring the bottoms of the tail feathers. It's possible that someone took one of those and sanded away the dome and resculpted the feathers.

 

[Moviefreak]

Let’s call Brad as I think I recall him doing extensive research on the different versions of there.

Jedifyfe

 

[KramStaar]

There are many versions but there is no question yours is a very fine piece indeed and you got it for a steal. I've seen the one's that ILM produced and also those in the Archives at The Ranch but would not pretend to be particularly knowledgable about these.
We need a real specialist to weigh in on this.

In the meantime, I'm not sure if you've read through Jason De Bord's detailed post?
Harrison/Elstree Props/Norank: Raiders of the Lost Ark ‘Staff of Ra’ Headpiece Props in the Marketplace

 

[Jedifyfe]

Yours is one that's been floating around for as long as I can remember. It does have lineage back to a production made headpiece but is most likely a 3rd or 4th generation casting. For $50, it's a great deal. It is true that certain crew got a headpiece as a gift but I believe it was well after the production ended.

Here is one of the crew gift headpieces.

 

[Jedifyfe]

Other side of Crew Gift

 

[VonMagnum]

I may have a possible explanation of the "crew member" feather details.
There was a mold of the headpiece floating around the ILM modelshop in the 90's that had the base area embedded in a hemisphere - obscuring the bottoms of the tail feathers. It's possible that someone took one of those and sanded away the dome and resculpted the feathers.

That's interesting. Is it possible there are loose crew copies floating around where people lost track of their origin? Do you know how many crew copies were made.

Or is it likely a second/third generation copy of that design? I don't think anyone would sell a crew version for $50 knowingly (i.e. This seller claimed to not know who made it and wouldn't say where he obtained it; the other two he had were easily located online, although I don't think the other Imam one, which is more polished but lacks detail like it was plated too thick is available anymore but was listed on one site where I saw it as a "slightly weathered" example to explain its lack of all feather details). He also had a German one-sided medallion, but it's obvious to see it's the "Reel Art" version.

Clearly, the one I bought would be worth a lot more if it could be authenticated (not that I plan to sell it even if it were a crew one). But I know sometimes things get sold in estate sales when someone dies where the true value isn't known. In any case, even if it's just a copy of one, it's nicer than I thought it would be for sure.

 

[VonMagnum]

Yours is one that's been floating around for as long as I can remember. It does have lineage back to a production made headpiece but is most likely a 3rd or 4th generation casting. For $50, it's a great deal. It is true that certain crew got a headpiece as a gift but I believe it was well after the production ended.

Here is one of the crew gift

Yes that one looks much closer (nearly exact by my untrained eyes) to the movie prop. I just noticed the history auction one looked like mine down to a dimple and the tail feathers being off (save the 3-pin mount to the staff top, itself which probably weighs over a pound and looks like solid brass offhand. But it's nice to know it's at least pretty good quality overall.

 

[Duncanator]

That's interesting. Is it possible there are loose crew copies floating around where people lost track of their origin? Do you know how many crew copies were made.

Or is it likely a second/third generation copy of that design?

There is no way to know how many crew castings were made. Lots and lots by my reckoning. There were copies being cast from the mold I knew about through the 90's into the 2000's. And it likely wasn't the only mold.

 

[VonMagnum]

I just bought two more Staff of Ra Medallions (one a German Nazi version). I mostly wanted the Landron display stands that come with both and since he's been on hiatus for awhile (never contacted me after putting me on the waiting list), I figured I was basically getting these medallions for cheap (minus display base + shipping). Basically after subtracting what it would cost to buy two display stands direct, $15 for one $25 for the other (basically $110 total for both the Landron display stands) (The Nazi one is the Reel Art version; I like RelicMaker's much better, but his is based on the bar version so it wouldn't hurt to have more than one if I decide to get that one too).

I'm not sure about the other Imam version. I'll post a picture when I get it. I've seen it online, but only on one of those "join to find out what someone paid" sites so I assume it's out of production too (listed there as "slightly weathered" version; photos show less feather detail, but they're blurry just like the last set, but it seems far more 'polished'. I'm guessing either the plating is on too thick which reduced detail OR a further down copy of a mold that's just losing detail (copy of a copy or even of yet a copy further). But then I just want two Landron display bases for my Imam one above and when I get around to buying the Raven Bar version (can't make up my mind whether to get the chain or the staff piece or just the medallion; they're such pricey add-ons I'm not sure I need either really as it's mostly going to sit there on display).

 

[Serenity]

I'm not sure about the other Imam version. I'll post a picture when I get it. I've seen it online, but only on one of those "join to find out what someone paid" sites so I assume it's out of production too (listed there as "slightly weathered" version; photos show less feather detail, but they're blurry just like the last set, but it seems far more 'polished'. I'm guessing either the plating is on too thick which reduced detail OR a further down copy of a mold that's just losing detail (copy of a copy or even of yet a copy further).

I'm pretty sure I found the listing and the second one is an Acme Artifacts/ReplicaProps version.

 

[VonMagnum]

I'm pretty sure I found the listing and the second one is an Acme Artifacts/ReplicaProps version.

I've read some nice things about that version before. It'll be interesting to see in person.

 

[VonMagnum]

OK, I must be crazy.

I just bought yet ANOTHER Staff of Ra "Imam" headpiece off eBay. This is the "BAM" version in what looks like brand new/mint condition for half its normal price with free priority shipping (i.e. $25 shipped). Yeah, no soldered braid, but the detail looks good and it has the opaque red stone. I'm going to need an entire bookshelf just to show off Staff of Ra medallions (that's 5 now and I haven't even ordered the Raven Bar version yet).

 

[VonMagnum]

Here are the new ones (the German one didn't fit on the Landron base very well so I put it on a plastic holder and moved the Landron one to the previous medallion). I'll probably eventually put the Raven Bar one on an Landron holder alongside the previous true mold version and put the other ones elsewhere on display, although I'm thinking about a Hasbro scale Ark to put under my Raiders poster and move the fertility idol head and other medallions I have to a bookshelf along side my screen (previous overview with old plastic and previous gold plated one with staff attachment and idol displayed just to show area where a few are going).

 

[simon830]

Absolute beaut! What was the other one like compared to this? The one that hung down in that city area?

 

[VonMagnum]

Absolute beaut! What was the other one like compared to this? The one that hung down in that city area?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'the one that hung down in that city area'. Do you mean the Raven Bar version as in what did it look like or do you mean the previous one I bought? Or something else?

The previous one I bought has more feather detail except on the tail feather and a true tri-wire braid. This one's braid is cleaner, but I don't think it's accurate. It's shinier and more polished, but less detailed and I think around the bird the plating might have come off (little grey looking, but that might just need some nook and cranny cleaning).

 

[KramStaar]

There is a third version that's a combination between the Raven Bar headpiece and the Imam headpiece.

Its the Raven Bar headpiece but with the Imam text inscribed around the edge. It was never used in the movie but its interesting knowing that there was an intermediate concept between the two that we know.

MARK.

 

[Serenity]

I have one of those Bam! Box/DMP ones too. I bought it because I always wanted one that had the plastic jewels like the tour/sold headpieces. Important notes: It's over an ounce heavier than the RM piece and slightly wider in diameter; the entirety of the RM headpiece would fit inside of the main body of the Bam one. It has a slot on the bottom.

Edit: The full diameter including the braid is 3.48" (or 88.5mm) compared to 3.31" (or 84mm) for the Relicmaker.

The plating is a thick, heavy gold (nice color, not accurate, but I don't think any have nailed that fully) and it wipes out a lot of the feather details and makes everything look rather soft. Quality control is pretty bad; mine had a piece of the casting metal still stuck over the one of the symbols on the front (see at about the 10 o clock spot) and the area underneath wasn't plated because of it. It was also missing some plating around the slot opening.

I should add that the price is damn good for a metal version and it’s a nice introductory headpiece that will fill the need for many people.

Here are some pictures next to the Relicmaker headpiece.

 

[Serenity]

Update: Removed the piece of extra metal on the front, then added some India ink to the recessed areas and details and buffed the high spots. Looks a lot better to me now.