Yahoo News Gold Darth Vader mask to go on sale for £1m to mark Star Wars Day
ADarth Vader mask made of gold will go on sale in Japan next week with a price tag of more than £1 million.
The solid gold mask was commissioned by the upmarket jewellers Ginza Tanaka in Tokyo to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of the film Star Wars.
The 24 karat gold mask - an exact replica of one of Hollywood’s most recognisable science fiction villains - is as heavy as it is pricey, weighing just over 33 pounds.
It will be available to buy for 154 million yen (£1.1 million) from the store, located in Tokyo’s upmarket Ginza district, on May 4, a date celebrated by fans as Star Wars Day because of the pun on the film's catchphrase "May the Fourth be with you".
A further range of commemorative Star Wars gold coins celebrating the movie will also go on sale at the store, with more affordable prices ranging from £980 (140,000 yen) to £8,400 (1.2 million yen), according to media reports.
Ginza Tanaka, a famed jewellers which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, is becoming increasingly known for its gold innovations.
Previous high-profile products include a £1.4 million solid gold Christmas tree which went on sale last November with the goal of boosting morale following the “gloom” of Brexit.
Other perhaps less conventional creations by Ginza Tanaka have included a life-size replica of the left foot of Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi, with a price tag of around £3.5 million.
