Joseph Stalin Bronze Mask Sale: Cast Sells For Thousands

Want A Cast Of Stalin's Death Mask? It'll Cost You

Apparently the latest must-have item up for sale is a mold of a Russian communist leader's face.

A cast of Joseph Stalin's death mask has been auctioned for £3,600 (about $5,600), the BBC reports.

The original plaster-cast mask reportedly was cast shortly after the dictator's death in 1953. According to the BBC, in 1990 a London art dealer headed to Moscow and took two bronze casts of Stalin's original death mask.

The creepy, oxidized-bronze creation reportedly was sold to an anonymous bidder.

Why does the thing exist in the first place?

"Death masks are an ancient tradition, kings and queens of ancient Greece and Egypt would have them made to remember their last face," the auction house's historical documents director Richard Westwood-Brooks explained to the Daily Mail. "I suppose these days you'd just upload a picture to Facebook."

It remains unclear how many copies of the mask exist. According to UPI, the auction house claims there are 12 copies of the original plaster cast, while Westwood-Brooks believes that there are only nine.

Thoughts as to why you'd want this as part of your personal collection? Let us know in the comments section!

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