$281,400 ‘Golden Compass’ Prototype Designed by Tanaka Kikinzoku

Real 'Golden Compass' made by Japanese craftsmen
(AFP) – Feb 4, 2008

TOKYO (AFP) — The magical compass in the blockbuster fantasy film "The Golden Compass" has taken real shape, with a Japanese jeweller unveiling a 30-million-yen (281,400-dollar) version made of gold.Tanaka Kikinzoku unveiled the compass made of 18-carat gold to promote the film starring Nicole Kidman and James Bond actor Daniel Craig.The compass, which measures 8.3 centimetres (3.36 inches) in diametre and has the same design as the one used in the film, weighs 900 grammes (31.5 ounces).It was made over one year by seven veteran craftsmen and inscribed with delicate letters and numbers, the jeweller said, adding that the compass would be displayed at the movie's Japan premiere later this month.The company said it had no plans to sell the compass, which was worth 30 million yen.In the movie, an orphan sets off on a journey with a magical compass of gold to save her best friend.The movie is an adaptation of "The Northern Lights," the first book in British author Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" fantasy trilogy
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