Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, March 25th. The auction will begin at 9:30 AM (PDT) / 12:30 PM (EDT) / 4:30 PM (GMT) and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, March 26th or Friday, March 27th.
Maximus Decimus Meridius' (Russell Crowe) arena helmet and mask from Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Maximus wore his helmet and mask during the re-enactment of the famous Battle of Carthage, in which he rallied the desperate gladiators against the charioteers, overcoming all odds to achieve a glorious victory.
This helmet originates from the personal collection of legendary Australian rugby union winger David Campese, who earned 101 Test caps for Australia between 1982 and 1996. Campese was personally gifted the helmet by Crowe, whose performance as Maximus earned the Academy Award® for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The film won four additional Oscars®, including for Best Picture and Best Costume Design for Janty Yates, while director Scott received his second of three nominations for Best Director, with this piece representing the intersection of creativity awarded in those categories.
In the lead-up to the 2003 Men's Rugby World Cup, Campese publicly dismissed England's chances of winning, calling them "boring". Following England's first-ever World Cup victory, Campese honored a wager by walking down Oxford Street in London wearing a sandwich board bearing the message "I admit, the best team won!"
In the week prior to this "walk of shame", Campese was at his Sydney coffee and sportswear shop, explaining his situation to Crowe and Muhammad Ali's former trainer Angelo Dundee, who was working with Crowe on Ron Howard's boxing drama Cinderella Man. Crowe produced the helmet for Campese, remarking, "You might need this", and exchanged it for an autographed Australian rugby jersey. A photo of Crowe and Campese during the handover will be provided to the winning bidder.
The helmet is made of fiberglass with embedded metal powder to make it appear as if it's made of metal, and it is lined with padded black leather. Blunted spikes adorn the exterior, down the center of which a pointed fin vertically runs, and a neck guard is incorporated into the back. Shades of dark gray and black are applied to produce a weathered, battle-worn appearance, and there are intentional dents.
Also exhibiting a weathered finish, the fiberglass mask has large eye holes, a nose guard and angular detailing. The mask is attached to the helmet via two intricate cast-metal buttons, each decorated with a flower emblem. Crowe personally informed Campese that a spike on the right-hand side was broken during filming, and there are also some additional cracks and paint markings from production use. Dimensions: 11.5" x 7" x 11.5" (29 cm x 18 cm x 29 cm)
Estimate: $125,000 - 250,000