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A whip wielded by Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” that once belonged to Princess Diana has sold at auction for $525,000.
On Thursday, a notable auction took place just a day after the famous Rosebud sled from “Citizen Kane” was sold for an incredible $14.75 million, marking it as one of the most expensive movie memorabilia items ever.
They were part of the Summer Entertainment Auction being held all week by Heritage Auctions.
Heritage says the overall take has made it the second-highest grossing entertainment auction of all time, and there’s still a day to go.
Soon to be auctioned are several iconic items, including Macaulay Culkin’s knit snow cap from “Home Alone,” a revolver used by Kurt Russell in “Wyatt Earp,” a pair of “Hattori Hanzo” swords from “Kill Bill Vol. 1,” and a first edition set of Harry Potter novels signed by J.K. Rowling.
On Thursday, a whip was sold which had been used in the climactic Holy Grail trials scene by Harrison Ford’s character in the 1989 film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”
Ford gave it to then-Prince Charles at the film’s U.K. premiere.
It was given as a gift to Princess Diana, who gave it to the current owner, who was not identified.
The buyer also was not identified.
“The bullwhip is the iconic symbol of an iconic character of cinema history, Indiana Jones, and has been a highlight of this auction,” Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s executive vice president, said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The $525,000 price includes the “buyers premium” attached to all auction items for the house that sells it.
Heritage said the nearly $15 million bid for the Rosebud sled puts it second only to the $32.5 million that Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” fetched in December. Neither of those buyers were identified either.
The sled was sold by longtime owner Joe Dante, director of films including “Gremlins.”
“Rosebud” is the last word spoken by the title character in director Orson Welles’ 1941 film “Citizen Kane,” and the hunt for its meaning provides the film’s plot.
Many critics have regarded it as the best film ever made.
Long thought lost, the sled is one of three of the prop known to have survived.
Dante stumbled on it when he was filming on the former RKO Pictures lot in 1984.
He wasn’t a collector, but knew the value of the sled and quietly preserved it for decades, putting it as an Easter egg into four of his own films.
Dante’s friend and mentor Steven Spielberg paid $60,500 for another of the sleds in 1982, and anonymous buyer paid $233,000 for the third in 1996.