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A pair of oval Roman shields from Joseph L. Mankiewicz's historical drama Cleopatra. Oval shields were carried by soldiers in Octavian's (Roddy McDowall) army as it advanced towards Alexandria. At the time of release, Cleopatra was the most expensive film ever made. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won four, including Best Costume Design.
Made of fibreglass, each shield features the Roman battle insignia of four eagle wings and six lighting bolts all arranged in a spoke pattern. Both shields are hand-painted in red and a brass tone which has dulled over the years, now resembling dark brown. The back of each shield has two canvas arm straps.
The shields have been intentionally distressed to appear battle-worn, but they also exhibit wear from production use, likely from swords clashing against them. Dimensions (one shield): 75 cm x 55 cm x 7 cm (29.5" x 21.75" x 2.75")
Estimate: £2,000 - 4,000 † Δ
View all lots from CLEOPATRA (1963)