You may remember back in April 2003 seeing us posting a news item about the auction by Sotheby's of one of the unique prototype rings that my father Jens Hansen had created during the One Ring design process.
That ring actually sold for US$5750- and my brother & I have been persuaded to release one more of prototypes to auction.
Jens Hansen, designer and creator of the 'One Ring', worked closely with Dan Hennah, Academy Award nominated Supervising Art Director, in the quest to design the perfect ring. This prototype was handmade by Jens Hansen and is only one of seven known remaining silver prototypes. Each prototype has a different shape and represented the evolution of the design process as the movie makers and my father searched for the perfect design to be used for filming. This ring is especially significant as it was the first prototype ever made and thus represents the first physical expression in metal of the creative process.
This auction finishes September 13th, 2003
See the link for a Windows .wmv video which accompanies the auction listing - NB: 1Mb file
Auctioneers Description
An epic story, an epic book, an epic film--so goes the tale of the phenomenon known as "Lord of The Rings". As J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga took the world by storm, the makers of the film realized they had a hefty task ahead of them in the quest for a successful movie interpretation of the written masterpiece. Since the entire premise of the film centers around a mystical ring, it was clear to the film's makers that a focused and concentrated effort was needed in order to find the perfect representation of "The Ring". Presented here is the very first prototype ring ever created for the film, acquired directly from Jens Hansen, the silversmith who was commissioned by New Line Cinema to create the mystical masterpiece for the film. Accompanying this prototype ring is a detailed Letter of Authenticity from the silversmith's son, Halfdan Hansen, reading in part, "My father, the late Jens Hansen, designer and creator of the 'One Ring', worked closely with Dan Hennah, Academy Award nominated Supervising Art Director, in the quest to design the perfect ring. This prototype was handmade by Jens Hansen and is only one of seven known remaining silver prototypes. Each prototype has a different shape and represented the evolution of the design process as the movie makers and my father searched for the perfect design to be used for filming. This ring is especially significant as it was the first prototype ever made and thus represents the first physical expression in metal of the creative process." Backed by a unique history and rock solid provenance, this offering represents a special opportunity to own a fabulous relic from perhaps the greatest movie in modern cinematic history. Presented in association with JulienEntertainment.com