The Dark Crystal (1982) Hand-Drawn and Hand-Painted Brian Froud Rejuvenation Chart of the Skeksis and Head of skekAyuk

A Skeksis rejuvenation chart and an image depicting the head of skekAyuk, both hand-drawn and hand-painted by conceptual, creature and costume designer Brian Froud for the production of Jim Henson and Frank Oz's fantasy film The Dark Crystal. SkekAyuk was the Skeksis Gourmand, responsible for arranging elaborate feasts for his fellow tyrants. The chart was a tool that the Skeksis used to track the progress of their rejuvenation.

Froud's The World of the Dark Crystal was released alongside the film as an in-world study of its mythology, pairing his extraordinary artwork with new text. Of the project, Froud explained: it was created to "allow the reader to enter much more deeply into the history, philosophy, and arcane aspects of the world we had created in such detail." The book went on to earn a nomination for "Best Non-Fiction Book" at the 1983 Hugo Awards.

Froud hand-painted the image of skekAyuk's head in watercolours, and hand-drew its various geometric lines with black ink. The rejuvenation chart is rendered on two pieces of paper in same media, and also comprises an acetate sheet depicting a Skeksis spiral that can be laid over the paper pieces to create the full diagram. The complete chart is depicted on page 109 of Froud's in-world lore book The World of the Dark Crystal. The text beside the chart states, "The inscription in the upper-right quadrant reads: Now is the power of the crystal seen. New life will flow from darkened light, not darkest stone. The black stone will no more deceive our hopes, no more receive our worship". The illustration of skekAyuk's head also appears in the book, on page 108.

Pencil markings on the works are printing notes relating to their reproduction for the book. These illustrations were likely created as concept pieces for the film, though Froud may have produced additional works for the book as well. Dimensions (Head of skekAyuk): 43.5 cm x 30.5 cm (17.25" x 12")

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Estimate: £5,000 - 10,000 M

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