The Wizard of Oz Prop Sells for Nearly Half a Million at Auction

The hourglass belonging to the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz has sold at auction for an impressive sum. The prop, which Heritage Auctions (the same company that sold George Clooney's nippled batsuit earlier this year) describes as "the most famous and recognizable timepiece in film history," sold for $495,000 on December 17th. In the 1939 film, the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton) uses the hourglass to menace Dorothy (Judy Garland) in the film. The Witch, eager to claim Dorothy's ruby slippers, threatens the girl by telling her that the sands in the hourglass represent "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!"

Luckily for Dorothy, her friends --  the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion -- are racing against time to save her. This particular hourglass, one of several created for the film, comes from the scene in which the Witch wields it over her head against the rescue party. It is made of wood and paper-mâché.

According to Heritage Auctions, the hourglass stands 20" tall and 11.5 inches wide. Heritage describes the piece as follows: "the Gothic frame is expertly crafted by studio artisans of wood and paper-mâché with winged gargoyles perched atop three spiraled columns. The glass element is crafted of hand-blown glass filled with red glitter (added later for display, as the glitter does not flow through the narrow neck of the glass). Following its use on The Wizard of Oz, MGM used this famous Hourglass in subsequent productions, including Babes on Broadway (1941), Diane (1956), and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964). Hourglass frame is asymmetrical and exhibits expected age and wear from production use, including scuffing and cracking to paint on the gargoyle pillars as well as scuffing, wear with some wood loss on the knobs on both bases (top and bottom). There is evidence of studio repair, including pegs installed to secure the gargoyle ears to the base. This incredibly famous film artifact presents beautifully and has been featured in three museum exhibitions: Los Angeles Public Library's Getty Gallery (2000); Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine (2014), and Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa (2016). "

The Wizard of Oz returned to theaters this year in June to celebrate what would have been Judy Garland's 100th birthday. A film reboot of The Wizard of Oz is in development with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris attached to write and direct. There are also plans for a The Wizard of Oz ride at Australia's Warner Bros. Movie World theme park.