The Mummy: Anck Su Namun - COMPLETED!

[AJLoCascio]

To accompany my Rick O'Connell costume my GF wanted me to make her an Anck Su namun costume from "The Mummy Returns" - I was more than happy to!

... now of course this means I am now DEEP down the rabbit hole of research and discoveries on this.

This is the version we are going with:

So right away I had a totally awesome discovery in the wild! I found the EXACT beds used in the wig just hanging about in Jo-Anne Fabrics! This is the rare and absurd thrill of replicating props and costumes - to just stumble on exactly what you need 20+ years after the movie was made!

This is what makes it addictive.
Here are some pics from the Prop Store auction that are insanely helpful in putting this together. However - they 100% put the gold shoulder piece backwards! You can tell because it has the dangling beads on the wrong side. There are no beads on the original costume back, only on the front.

Of course if anyone has any suggestions of fabric choice - please throw them below - that skirt fabric is a bit baffling.

HELP - This Skirt fabric is killing me - if anyone has thoughts on the skirt or waistband lmk!

Close up of the mask - just going to use a generic white mask from Amazon and use foam clay to sculpt on top if it. I think they literally just used a basic generic mask for this - it's pretty formless.

Her Armband: So after a bunch of research I learned that her armband is the goddess Nekhbet - a vulture. There are no good screenshots of this and I wound up paying $11 on Alamy like a jerk to get the only hi rez image of this I could. I will likely try making this in Tinkercad + possibly sculpting on top and casting them.

For the Rings: So there are two kinds of Rings on her outfit - a double and single. I'm working on drawing those up and will 3D print them. I haven't started doing the details - as you can see there are some engravings on them.

That's most if it for now! I'll plop more updates here as I go in!

-AJ

 

[AJLoCascio]

Kind of a Bat-***** crazy bit of research to find the right beads. I'm 99% sure I'm the only one who cares about this, but the costume Archaeology of reverse-engineering these things is the part I enjoy!

 

[pengbuzz]

Really liking the time and effort you're putting into this project to achieve authenticity!

 

[AJLoCascio]

Really liking the time and effort you're putting into this project to achieve authenticity!

Thank you! I'm having a blast!!!!

 

[AJLoCascio]

Quick little update: Skirt is sewn, but no pics yet (but here is the dangle things!) Printed by Aaron Hurd!

Failed FDM print for comparison:

 

[AJLoCascio]

Ok. Been sitting on a lot of this, but got a lot of work done.

First off: The Skirt. I spent a psycho amount of time trying to figure this one out. I could not for the life of me figure out an exact match for the fabric - so I found something as close as humanly possible and WOVE brown strands through it like an absolute mad man!

You can see the before and after here. YES it took forever

Here is mostly complete skirt. Not the neatest photo, just laying on a dog bed. Also figured out the "belt" was sheer silver fabric and after trying to figure out some way to weave black fabric through it I just opted to use paint. I might redo it in the future, but for Halloween - this is good enough!

This DAMN COLLAR:
This piece SUCKED. Gold leather and trying to figure out the exact pattern based on screen shots and one prop-store auction was a total nightmare. As you can see there is a lot going on there! Beads and cutouts and dangles. It's insane.

I did my best to line everything up and spent days and days trying to make sense of it.

This is what I arrived at:

I used my Cricut to make a cardstock pattern, not to cut the leather because it was too damn big and the leather was VERY thin.

Lots of cutting - testing metallic markers and some bedazzling later and this is where it was at!

Then time to sew a LOT of the Czech glass dagger beads which are clear glass with a gold backing. They create an optical illusion of silver / gold if you look REALLY closely.

Here is it after adding all the beads. Kind of an absolute nightmare.

And here it is with the sculpted "dangles" with a candy coating by my partner.

More soon!

 

[AJLoCascio]

The Arm band!

Using Illustrator and Tinkercad I made the base for the armband to 3D print. The heads face opposite direction depending on the arm - so that's fun.

There are very few good pics of this thing, but I figured out it's based on the Vulture Goddess Nekhbet - so that was helpful.

I reached out to 3D sculptor Andy Valentine after building my file to add some small details to the head and round it out and 3D printed it.

Andy Valentine Props on Instagram: "I assisted @aj_locascio with a model of Anck-Su-Namun's armband and it came out so awesomely. Can't wait to see this thing printed and made real! Going to look fantastic. Now available in the usual places. #themu

70 likes, 2 comments - itsandyvalentine on October 20, 2022: "I assisted @aj_locascio with a model of Anck-Su-Namun's armband and it came out so awesomely. Can't wait to see this thing printed and ma..."

www.instagram.com

Here is the preliminary print with an FDM printer. A print in resin is on the way!

 

[AJLoCascio]

Interesting discovery... to maybe only me. But they apparently recycled Anck Su Namun's costume pieces for Evie in present day!

 

[NSStudios]

Dude! This is f*cking wild! Amazing job on this so far.

 

[sapper36]

I have one of the screen used armbands - I can try to post a picture later today....

 

[AJLoCascio]

I have one of the screen used armbands - I can try to post a picture later today....

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I spent SO much time squinting at those pics! Would love to see!!!

This is how my final sculpt wound up!

 

[AJLoCascio]

Here are the final results of my partner's Anck Su Namun costume!

 

[greenmachines]

Not to put so fine a point on it but DAMN. Oh, and kudos to you on some excellent screen worthy props. Count your lucky stars on having someone who enjoys your obsession. It isn't even common enough to call it rare.

 

[AJLoCascio]

Not to put so fine a point on it but DAMN. Oh, and kudos to you on some excellent screen worthy props. Count your lucky stars on having someone who enjoys your obsession. It isn't even common enough to call it rare.

Haha and thanks man! I'm very lucky!

 

[pengbuzz]

Here are the final results of my partner's Anck Su Namun costume!
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Just WOW!!! You BOTH look the parts!! Your costume (as mentioned before) is very well-done, and the attention to detail on hers is simply amazing. Not to mention your partner really captures that smoldering look that Anck-su-namun had in both Mummy movies!

You know... if they ever want to continue the Fraser Mummy franchise, Universal should seriously consider the both of you!

 

[JamesM242]

Great costumes! Fantastic work! What location did you use for the pics?

 

[sapper36]

Wow - You guys look great - Shot some mediocre pics this morning - I can try to get you better ones later this week if you like....

The backs have a thin brown strip of fabric glued on to tie the armbands. Yours came out pretty great!

 

[AJLoCascio]

Wow - You guys look great - Shot some mediocre pics this morning - I can try to get you better ones later this week if you like....

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The backs have a thin brown strip of fabric glued on to tie the armbands. Yours came out pretty great!

THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!! Wish I saw this a year ago!!! Sent you a DM!

 

[joberg]

Great re-creation of that fantastic costume You both look like you were part of the movie

 

[AJLoCascio]

Great re-creation of that fantastic costume You both look like you were part of the movie

Thank you! It was definitely a very deep rabbit hole. Not a costume I see people making in detail!