Liz Taylor’s ‘Cleopatra’ cape expected to fetch 100k dollars at auction

The gold cape worn by Elizabeth Taylor in two major scenes from the 1963 film ‘Cleopatra’ is set to go under the hammer.

London: The gold cape worn by legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor in two major scenes from the 1963 film ‘Cleopatra’ is set to go under the hammer.

Bidding for the intricate garment, made from leather and gold, is set to start at 10,000 dollars when it goes under the hammer at Dallas-based auction house Heritage Auctions on May 30. But industry insiders predict bidding could soar way beyond that, reaching into the hundreds of thousands. The cape, designed to look like the wings of a phoenix, is intricately designed using thin strips of gold leather and embellished with thousands of seed beads, bugle beads and bead-anchored sequins. The craftsmanship involved is impressive, and plays testament to the time, effort and money that went into the design of Taylor’s costumes, the star was allocated an incredible 194,800 dollar wardrobe budget for the film. Taylor wore the gold cape in two pivotal scenes - firstly, for the portrayal of Cleopatra’s entrance to Rome and, second, in the final scenes of the film where she apparently commits suicide using the venom from a snake bite. The cape will be up for auction alongside the wig worn by the star in the same film. “These are just a few of the highlights and legendary names we have lined up in this auction,” the Daily Mail quoted Margaret Barrett, Director of Entertainment and Music auctions at Heritage as telling panarmenian.net. “Taylor was featured in countless newspaper and magazine articles wearing this cape, most famously on the cover of the October 6, 1961 issue of Life,” she added. ANI