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The first centurion's (John Cleese) cuirass from Terry Jones' biblical comedy Monty Python's Life of Brian. The first centurion wore his cuirass in all his appearances, including during the beloved "Biggus Dickus" scene. This lot comes from the archives of the Italian costume company Costumi d'Arte.

Life of Brian was Monty Python's most significant commercial and critical success. Beyond his work with the troupe, Cleese has had a hugely successful career, co-writing and starring in the classic British sitcom Fawlty Towers, and co-writing, co-directing and starring in the 1988 crime-comedy movie A Fish Called Wanda.

The cuirass comprises two pieces of leather connected by buckled straps at the midriff and shoulders. Each piece is coloured dark burgundy, adorned with ornate metal symbols and details, and scalloped at the shoulders and waist. A label on the interior has "1612" handwritten on it in red marker pen. Also included are half-shell-patterned shoulder buckles not seen in the final cut.

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: £10,000 - 20,000 Ω

View all lots from MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979)

View all lots from Costumi d'Arte Collection