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Description

The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight, 2017), Trio of Conceptual Clay Maquette Studies for Amphibian Man. Months of development went into the design of Amphibian Man, the sapient humanoid amphibian held captive in a secret government facility in Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece that received 13 nominations at the 90th Academy Awards and won in four categories: Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Director, and Best Picture. The three design busts are sculpted in clay by the artisans of acclaimed visual effects studio Legacy Effects which created Amphibian Man's creature suit worn by Doug Jones. Each design is distinctly different and offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the art of moviemaking. Each bust is mounted on a production stand measuring from 12.5" to 14" tall (bases measure 11.75" diameter and 11.75" x 11.5"). Each bust exhibits light wear from production. Clay is still malleable and must be handled with special care. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions.

"Many years before production started, I personally bankrolled months and months of design with a compact team made of the two Daves: Grasso and Meng. They are some of the most precise, imaginative guys in the Make-up FX business. And, having collaborated with Meng in 3 films, I can trust them. You can follow the evolution of the creature - all the way to the large full body maquette: Charlie 1.0 (in honor of Charlie Tuna) and its eventual evolution to Charlie 2.0 by Legacy and Charlie 3.0 by Mike Hill." From the personal collection of Guillermo del Toro.


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Auction Info

Auction Dates
September, 2025
26th Friday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 1
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 317

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% of the successful bid per lot.

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Sold on Sep 26, 2025 for: Not Sold
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