A Praetorian Guard Costume from Ridley Scott’s historical Roman epic, Gladiator. In the film, a betrayed Roman general seeks revenge for his murdered family after making his way to Rome as a slave. The Praetorian Guard serve as the bodyguards for the emperor of Rome, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Included with this costume is a lorica for the torso, bracers, helmet, a cingulum and a cloak. All of the armor for this costume was cast from resin, and has been painted with a dark finish to resemble worn metal.
The lorica worn around the torso has a main body constructed from two pieces. The two sections are riveted to a thick leather strap at the back, and feature a similar leather strap in the front that secures together with snap buttons at the top and bottom, and includes a leather tie that can be looped through the brass colored metal loops. The armor which hangs down past the waist is attached to the main body armor with a leather strap that is riveted to each piece. The shoulder armor is made up of two resin plates that are riveted together and connect to the front of the lorica with a riveted leather strap, and to the back with snap buttons, offering slight size adjustment for the wearer.
The helmet has a crest with an olive wreath design embroidered onto the resin base, and is filled with bristled brown faux hair. While most Praetorian guards wore helmet's with a simple top, the hair on this rare piece indicates that the helmet was worn by a guard of a higher rank. The decorative crest on the helmet leads to a pronounced eagle that is perched over the front and sits above the face guard. The face guard can be moved up and down, but rests in place with a foam insert that sits behind it. The helmet offers additional protection with a guard for the neck that juts out from the back, along with additional guards that hang over the sides of the face. These peripheral face guards each feature a design of an eagle, and attach to the helmet with riveted straps of leather. Inside of the helmet is a foam insert to help secure it to the wearer’s head, and a tag for “SP2” is written with white paint.
The bracers are made from two resin plates with two leather straps. The leather straps wrap around the forearm and wrist and hold together with a bead that fits through the hole on each strap. Inside of each bracer is a foam insert that gives the armor a more secure fit. The cingulum is made from leather and acts as a belt for the waist. The cingulum holds together using snap buttons that are located on the back, and features decorative flaps of leather that are riveted to the belt. Each flap is decorated with resin plates that continue down to an emblem of a lion. The cloak is made from dark blue wool and features a single pin with the emblem of a lion.
Please note that this costume was custom made and does not include any sizing information. This wardrobe features some wear to the helmet which has resulted in a small chip on the left wing of the decorative eagle, however the complete costume remains in overall good production worn condition.