The infamous chess set, made of custom wood and plaster, was the most iconic prop in “The Seventh Seal” since it became a symbol of the battle for life and death against the Grim Reaper himself.
The white king piece broke during filming due to Sydow sweeping his cape across the set and tumbling the pieces, but the set still sold for quite a hefty sum. The chess set now belongs to an anonymous collector that will forever own a historic piece of film history.
The Wicked Witch’s Black Hat
The black wool flying hat worn by Margaret Hamilton, who played the role of the Wicked Witch of the West, was an iconic movie prop. Not only is this one of the most famous witches in movie history, but she’s also the villain in one of the most famous fantasy films ever made.
And now, some lucky buyer can set it on a precious stand in their living room and stare at it for hours while imagining the magical scenes of the “Wizard of Oz.”
The Seventh Seal (1957) - The Chess Set: $150K
The groundbreaking philosophical film “The Seventh Seal” by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman was a landmark moment in cinema history. The historical fantasy film about a medieval knight that tries to save himself from death won critics and audiences worldwide.
The knight, played by actor Max von Sydow, challenges Death to a nail-biting chess game in a fight for his life. In 2009, the famous chess set sold for $150,000 at an auction house in Sweden, which was 50 times more than what was predicted.
Citizen Kane (1941) - Rosebud Sled: $233K
The fact that a film from 1941 is still referenced as a cinematic masterpiece so many decades later is a testament to its brilliance. This American drama from famous director Orson Welles tells the story of a publishing mogul’s last words and how they set off a series of scandalous events.
The most prominent prop of the film is Rosebud’s infamous sled, which was won by a boy in New York City back in 1942. Fifty-four years later, in 1996, it sold for $233,500 in a Christie’s auction in Los Angeles.
The “Rosebud” Sled
The famous sled, used in the early part of “Citizen Kane,” was won by a 12-year-old boy in Brooklyn in 1942 named Robert Bauer. The sled was a prize in an RKO Pictures competition, and Bauer kept it for his entire life. His son told the story of how his mother once wanted to turn the sled into a planter, and his father opposed it, saying, “No, preserve it and store it in the closet.”
Director Steven Spielberg owned another of the three sleds that were used in the film, which he bought for over $60,000 in 1982.