Wizard of Oz Hourglass Prop Sells for $495,000 at Auction
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An hourglass used by the Wicked Witch of the West to taunt Dorothy mid-way through The Wizard of Oz has sold for nearly half-a-million dollars at auction, Smithsonian Magazine reports.
Heritage Auctions describes the prop as "the most recognizable signature prop from the film," noting that it was used in the scene in which the witch tells Dorothy: "You see that? That's how much longer you've got to be alive! And it isn't long, my pretty! it isn't long! I can't wait forever to get those shoes!"
RELATED: Long-Lost 'Wizard of Oz' Dress Worn by Judy Garland Blocked from Auction amid Dispute Over Ownership
The hourglass itself measures 20 inches tall by nearly 1 foot wide and includes a Gothic frame "expertly crafted by studio artisans of wood and papier-mâché with winged gargoyles perched atop three spiraled columns."
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The hand-blown glass is filled with red glitter, which Heritage notes was "added later for display, as the glitter does not flow through the narrow neck of the glass."
The artifact has been featured in three museum exhibitions and has been sold at two prior auctions.
Artnet reports the hourglass was the top lot at Heritage's "Hollywood and Entertainment Signature Auction," which featured $8 million in movie memorabilia — including a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and a robe worn by Charlton Heston as Moses in The Ten Commandments.
Two other props from The Wizard of Oz — a test version of the gingham pinafore worn by Judy Garland (which sold for $125,000) and a jacket worn by an Emerald City extra (which sold for $37,500) — were also included in the auction.
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Earlier this year, a U.S. district judge in Manhattan stopped the auction of a long-lost dress worn by Garland in the film, after a relative of its deceased owner claimed it belonged to her.
The blue-and-white checked frock with attached white blouse was considered lost for nearly four decades before it was rediscovered last year in Catholic University's drama department collection.
Department head Father Gilbert Hartke received the dress as a gift back in the 1970s. But after just a year at the Washington, D.C. campus, the costume was reported to have gone missing.
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Fr. Gilbert died in 1986 and nearly four decades later, the dress was found again in a discarded shoebox.
The dress, which was valued between $800,000 and $1.2 million, was going to be among the items included in Bonham's Classic Hollywood: Film and Television sale in May, until Fr. Gilbert's niece and his closest living relative claimed in court that she was the rightful owner of the costume.
Amid the debate, U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe on Monday granted a motion for a preliminary injunction. The ruling means the auction of the dress will be postponed until the case is resolved.
