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Mark Antony's (Richard Burton) crowning costume from Joseph L. Mankiewicz's historical epic Cleopatra. After leading the Roman alliance against the rebellion and avenging Caesar (Rex Harrison), Antony was crowned with a laurel wreath before his legions. 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 comprises a cuirass, a set of straps and a tunic. The cuirass is made of brown leather featuring ornate metal symbols, including eagles. It is scalloped and tasselled at the shoulders. The straps are also made of brown leather with metal embellishments depicting eagles and lion heads. "29PE" is handwritten in black ink on the underside of the straps, which are secured and fastened by metal buckles at the sides. The tunic is made of crepe and features olive-leaf pattern sections made from light and dark-gold-coloured cord. It has a zip on the left side, and an interior label has "2548" sewn in red thread.

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