Amongst all the little details the present on these photos, I think this is fascinating...
This looks like it may have been a cast from an original ANH dome which had the center stripe layered up to produce the thicker center stripe on the ROTJ dome, then trimmed off the widow's peak. You can see a distinct shadow cast by the upper (new) layer of the center stripe.
This is a trait I also noticed on the Brian Muir Ultimate Vader dome from this photo angle.
Pull quote from Brian's website...
"Brian purchased a cast from the original moulds of the mask and helmet that were still being used on the production of Return of the Jedi from the mould maker who was employed to produce the screen used Vader masks and helmet"...See the screen cap below for the entire story.
Quickly changing the direction of this Yugo - so is this the kind of cast (seen in SS's original post) Brian Muir received prior to finishing his Ultimate Vader? If so, he was this far "||" away from having a wildly accurate screen used ANH faceplate for his helmet (warts and all). Wish he'd have left all of that in the final cast of his Ultimate Vader, including all the dings, drips, and brush strokes on the Vader dome.
Wonder if Brian would be interested in creating a Brian Muir "Legend" - assuming he still has that original cast. ;)
So to steer this Yugo back onto the road: If the Brian Muir cast and this new found cast match up, which it appears it could, it would definitely be a cast from the Return of the Jedi production molds.
Would love to see a few straight on photos of the faceplate from 6 feet away with a focal length of 85-100mm (portrait lens).
Photography tips review/reminders for those viewing this thread....
The best place to photograph your helmet is outside on a cloudy day, or next to a large window facing the opposite direction of the sun (sliding glass door is best) - from 10 am to 6 PM - which creates a nice big soft box. That window will create a beautiful quality of light.
You can even set up a white towel or pillow case to bounce light back to the opposite side of the helmet. Don't photograph the helmet while you (the photographer) are facing the window. Turn the helmet towards the window, 45 degrees, or 90 degrees to the window. If you have a sliding glass door facing north, you can point the helmet directly at the door, then stand outside (while still standing in the shade) and photograph the helmet straight on with the door open.
Any inexpensive DSLR or mirrorless (Fuji, Olympus, Sony) with a longer focal length (85mm - 105mm and f/2 to f/4) will give you the best results. Try to keep the ISO below 400 so you don't introduce too much imaging noise.
Lastly - try to give the helmet a simple background. Complexity will be a distraction. It can be a pain in the ass, but the results will speak for themselves.
Cheers,
c