Winner of seventeen Academy Awards, The Lord of the Rings was brought to the big screen by New Line Cinema and directed by Peter Jackson. Wētā Workshop was intrinsically involved in the design and physical effects manufacture for all three films.

The site of an ancient battle, the grey wetlands between Mordor and Emyn Muil are a labyrinthine bog of sodden ground and choked pools. No bird call cuts the windless air, nor the tail of any fish disturbs the weedy ponds. The Dead Marshes they are called, a stagnant morass, where only the foolish or desperate dare pick a wary way.

In this dank swamp the dead warriors of long ago lie as they fell: Orcs, Elves and Men. Cold flames flicker over their unnaturally immutable remains and lifeless white eyes beckon travellers to a watery doom.

With no other way open, Sam and Frodo must make their way through the marshes with Gollum as their guide. Mount Doom is their goal, and the One Ring their precious charge: a quest demanding secrecy and stealth.

The Hobbits must trust the word and eye of their treacherous advisor, who has been this way before and knows its secret ways. Yet with each step the Ring weighs heavier on Frodo and the eldritch magic of the mire calls out to him, drawing him to the water, where green hands hang ready to pull him under, dragging him down to a cold wet grave. 

FEATURES

Limited Edition;

1:6 scale statue;

Made from high quality polystone;

Clay sculpted by Middle-earth veteran Brigitte Wuest, with support from Gary Hunt and Shaun Bolton;

Depicts both the natural and mystical sides of Middle-earth, as seen above and below the water;

Including five characters and three unique materials, within a dynamic environment;

Spirits of the dead can be seen beneath the water, tucked within the gnarled roots;

Unique lighting combined with expert paint application brings the underwater action to life;

LED powered, flickering flames and ambient underwater environment (universal power adaptor included).

It’s particularly challenging to create weightlessness in a sculpture, so my favourite component of this piece is the illusion of Frodo slowly sinking and the flowing movement of the eerie spectres trying to grab hold of him. Pulling him down into the dark, dead waters.

Brigitte Wuest – Senior Sculptor, Wētā Workshop