THE HOBBIT: AZOG THE DEFILER ON WARG

Limited edition #434 of 500
Scale: 1/6
Dimensions: 45 x 65 x 41 cm (HxWxD)
Weight: 16 kg
Materials: Polystone
Previewed: July 2012
Preorder: July 29, 2013
Released: February 2014
Sculptor: Lindsey Crummett

A huge and pale Gundabad Orc, Azog™ has ruled by will and might the northern tribes for many decades, leading them to victory in battles against their hated foes, the Dwarves of the line of Durin. Outside the East Gate of Moria he beheads the Dwarf King Thror and comes close to killing his grandson Thorin, who repays the great Orc by cutting off his arm.

In the years that follow little is heard from Azog and many come to believe him dead, but in truth the Defiler lives on, recovering his strength and replacing his severed limb with a jagged metal proxy.

Brooding on thoughts of revenge and the final destruction of the Longbeards, Azog bides his time until the commencement of Thorin Oakenshield’s quest to retake Erebor sees the Orc emerge on the back of a great white Warg to lead a troop of hunters across Middle-earth in pursuit of the Dwarven Company.

At 65 cm long and 45 cm tall, the Warg alone is bigger than some dogs and our prototype weighs in at 13.5kg. It's likely to be about 16 kg when cast in polystone - about the same as the average 4 year-old child.

The mere logistics of handling a piece like this, let alone making molds and removing cast sculptures from the molds is an incredibly time consuming process that requires exceptional skill and a great deal of patience from the craftsmen entrusted with this task.

Both bigger and approx 5 kg heavier than our Barad-dūr - Fortress of Sauron environment, each individual piece will take several days to mold, cast and paint. A strong steel 'skeleton' or armature concealed inside is needed to make this ultra-dynamic pose possible. It's the most challenging cast we've ever come up with.

Azog the Defiler on Warg will be made in an edition size of only 500 - like previous Limited Edition pieces from Middle-earth, it is certain to become very collectible and you will want to be in quick.This beautiful piece of art is the result of several months' worth of trials to determine what would be the ultimate pose for Azog and his Warg. Patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait.

The piece was sculpted by Lindsey Crummett. Like all our collectibles it was created by a large team of the same artists and craftspeople who work on our movies. You can see more of Lindsey's work in our book The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Chronicles: Creatures and Characters.