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Mark Antony's (Richard Burton) Senate costume from Joseph L. Mankiewicz's historical epic Cleopatra. Antony wore his toga while attending a senate session as news of the birth of Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor) and Julius Caesar's (Rex Harrison) son spread through Rome. This lot comes from the archives of the Italian costume company Costumi d'Arte. Seven-time Academy Award nominee Burton was regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation and performed in several films, including Cleopatra, alongside his wife, the iconic actress Elizabeth Taylor. At the time of its release, Cleopatra was the most expensive film ever made. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won four, including Best Costume Design.

The costume features an ivory-coloured sleeveless linen tunic with a red cotton front, featuring laurel crown-and-leaf embroidery in dark and light gold-coloured cord, and a zip on the rear left side. The costume also includes an ivory-coloured linen mantle with a red cotton border and leaf embroidery in dark and light gold-coloured cord. Each shoulder of the mantle has a metal pin painted to look like gold but these are not original to the film. The tunic exhibits a small hole towards the waist in the red cotton section.

Additional Provenance: This lot comes from the archives of the famed Italian costume company Costumi d'Arte. The company has been supplying some of the biggest film productions in the world with costumes for over 100 years.

Estimate: £5,000 - 10,000 Ω

View all lots from CLEOPATRA (1963)

View all lots from Costumi d'Arte Collection