Movies - TV
How Indiana Jones Turned A Cheap Souvenir Into A Priceless Idol
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" begins in 1936 Peru, where Indiana Jones embarks on a dangerous adventure to secure a legendary golden idol hidden within a perilous temple.
This golden idol remains an enigmatic centerpiece, with its historical significance left unexplained in the movie. However, it was born from a unique source and remains memorable.
Norman Reynolds, the production designer, crafted the idol for the film. He adapted a cheap Peruvian souvenir to create a movie prop that looked authentic.
The sculpture is of a woman squatting as she gives birth. Reynolds explained to the BBC, "It was a fertility figure that seemed to be a good size for the idol."
The idol was based off of a real artifact held at the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, DC. However, that artifact also turned out to be a fake from the mid-19th century.
The idol prop from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," then, was based on a cheap Peruvian souvenir, which was based on a real Aztec artifact, that was actually a fake.