Arguably, the most recognised award in the world, the Oscar statuette has stood on the mantels of the greatest filmmakers since 1929.
Oscar Statuette. Credit ©A.M.P.A.S.®
Official Name – Academy Award® of Merit
Height – 13½ inches
Weight – 8½ pounds
Number Presented – 2,809
Designer – Cedric Gibbons, Chief Art Director at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Manufacturing Time – 3-4 Weeks for 50 Statuettes
Fact
- Once presented with an Oscar, the recipient is encumbered by the requirement that they themselves or their heirs cannot sell the statue without first offering the Academy the option to buy it for US$1. If the recipient refuses this, the Academy keeps the statue.
So don’t expect to see Jennifer Lawrence’s statuette on ebay anytime soon.
- Director, screenwriter and actor, Emilio Fernandez posed nude to inspire the Oscar design.
- The Academy theorises that the Oscar nickname derived from academy librarian, Margaret Herrick, who in the 1930s said that award looked like her uncle named Oscar.
- Depending on the number of nominees and the maximum amount of Oscars that could be won, there are up to 50 statuettes created for each awards ceremony. Those that are left over at the end of the night are stored away in the Academy vault until next year’s ceremony,
- The Oscar statuette stands on a film reel with five spokes, representing the original branches of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences; Actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.
Check out 12 Golden facts about Oscar Statuettes to tell your friends on Mashable.com