Bronze cast of Stalin's death mask goes for auction

A rare cast of the death mask of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin will be auctioned in Shropshire later.

The cast was taken in bronze from the original plaster death mask by an art dealer who was visiting Moscow in 1990.

Richard Westwood-Brookes, from the Church Stretton based auction house Mullock's, said: "There are we believe the only two of these in the West."

The auction also includes casts of Stalin's right hand and his withered left hand.

Mr Westwood-Brookes said that in official portraits the Soviet dictator always hid this physical deformity.

He said: "The casts that we have here show that his hand was a little withered thing, so you are seeing Stalin as he really was."

The guide price for the death mask is between £3,000 and £5,000.