Stalin's bronze death mask to fetch £5,000

He was one of the world's most brutal dictators, responsible for the deaths of millions of people. But despite his appalling record and reputation, the opportunity has now arisen for somebody to have Joseph Stalin's face in their living room. The death mask of the former Soviet leader is set to fetch thousands of pounds at auction this week. The bronze mask was made from a cast of the Russian communist leader's face and hands, taken shortly after he took his last breath. It is believed to be one of only two of the masks to exist  in the west, with the other hidden away in a private collection in London. Death masks are taken from the faces of the dead shortly after their demise, preserving their last serene moments forever, and are more commonly associated with great artists and composers. However, Stalin was preserved in a cast shortly before his body was embalmed, ready to lie in state for almost a decade. The death mask is due to go on sale on Tuesday at Ludlow Racecourse, and is being sold by Mullock's auctioneers on behalf of a private owner. Mullock's historical documents expert, Richard Westwood-Brooks, said the bronze face and hands are incredibly rare. 'There are nine original death masks, all of which reside in Russia,' said Mr Westwood-Brooks. 'It was not until 1990 that anyone in the west got to see them. 'These were cast from that original mask, and there are only two of them in the western world. 'This is the only chance anyone is going to have to get their hands on this for the foreseeable future. 'It is the closest you could come to having Stalin in your living room. I imagine it shows him at his most calm and serene. 'Death masks are an ancient tradition, kings and queens of ancient Greece and Egypt would have them made to remember their last face. I suppose these days you'd just upload a picture to Facebook. 'Normally they are associated with artistic people. Beethoven has one, several other artists as well. 'But I only know of Stalin and Napoleon, in terms of major leaders, who have had them made. 'Not even Churchill had one made.' Stalin's terrifying regime ended in 1952, after he suffered a series of strokes at his home in the Kremlin in Moscow. His body was embalmed and lay in state next to that of his predecessor Vladimir Lenin. Stalin's body was removed from the Lenin Mausoleum in 1961 as part of the process of de-stalinisation in the Soviet Union. Lenin's body still lies in state today. It is expected that the death mask will be sold for anywhere between £3,000 and £5,000.