Celebrate May the 4th by ogling this $1.4 million Darth Vader mask
TOKYO -- What better way to commemorate May the 4th than with a $1.4 million Darth Vader mask?
It could be a golden opportunity for a very wealthy "Star Wars" fan.
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A Tokyo jewelry store is offering life-size Darth Vader masks made of 24-karat gold at a hefty price of 154 million yen ($1.4 million) to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of the first "Star Wars" movie.
The creation measures 10.4 inches wide and 11.8 inches high.
The Ginza Tanaka store says the masks are not designed for wearing -- at about 33 pounds, they would be too heavy, and they have no opening for a head.
While the masks are its most expensive "Star Wars" memorabilia, the jeweler has made pricier products. In 2013, a gold Disney-themed Christmas tree was priced at $4.5 million.
Marketing manager Hirotsugu Tsuchiya said it took 10 goldsmiths three months to mold and assemble the prototype.
"The most difficult aspect was that each section of the mask was created by a different gold craftsman and then assembled to make one Darth Vader mask," Tsuchiya said.
Orders for the mask can be made at its main store in the glitzy Ginza shopping area where the prototype is on display. Customers will have to wait three months after ordering.
For those looking for less expensive options, gold coins engraved with Yoda or Luke Skywalker will also be available starting at 132,300 yen ($1,200). They will go on sale Thursday, which is May 4, celebrated by some fans as "Star Wars" day because "May the fourth" evokes the film's iconic line, "May the force be with you."
