Crescent City Auctions brings us a
Blomberg-style vampire killing kit.
Description: Unusual Vampire Killing Kit, 19th c., and later, the fitted mahogany box with nickel edges and hinges, the center with a nickel cross with a faux ruby, the sides of the box with two ring handles, the interior of the lid fitted with a large crucifix, the tray with a Holy Water bottle, 2 Bibles, a New Testament, a smaller crucifix, 6 wooden stakes and a wooden mallet, over a lower drawer containing a double barrel pistol from Casa Paulina Garcia, Rio de Junior, a mirror with a cross on the reverse, a box containing two silver bullets, a rosary, and a dagger with a sterling handle., H.- 8 1/2 in., W.- 14 1/2 in., D.- 9 in.
It's nice to see the "19th century and later" bit included.
Every vampire killing kit is a modern fake, and suggesting otherwise in an auction description is unethical and dishonest. I believe the mallet in the picture below is the same one I ordered off Amazon about five years ago. The base of the handle has been re-profiled, but other than that it has the exact same silhouette, right down to the grooves on the handle.
It’s nice put together and most of the components do happen to be from the last quarter of the 19th century. As nice as the outside is, they didn’t try very hard in reconverting the interior of the tea caddy, but it is an old box. The Belgian double barrel pinfire pistol is nice and worth at least $300 by itself, but the estimate of $7,000 to $12,000 is pretty steep for a modern put together, worth about $1,200 tops. It’s certainly not “original” in the sense of an old assemblage, but the additional exterior work on the box is rather nice and it does present well.
ReplyDeleteI’m with Propnomicon about deception – it’s a good prop and a nice fantasy piece, but by no means worth what they are asking. I have to wonder a bit about the other items they have at auction if they are so compromised as to pass off a clearly modern assembly full of disassociated items as old or original. I’d like to see some prop makers have some pride of ownership and mark their pieces. It doesn’t have to be modern style markings – in fact it should look period to keep the illusion. Also try making something fresh and new for a change:
http://coastconfan.blogspot.com/2013/01/hourglass-vampire-hunting-kit.html
I wonder: has anyone made a modern vampire killing kit? Not one that was designed to look old, but one with modern materials? Maybe with velcro straps and nylon webbing, using UV lights and stainless steel weapons? That might be cool in and of itself.
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