I know the other day I said I wouldn't be posting anything anytime soon, but Elizabeth (remember her from a couple of posts ago?) just wrote me to show me these two cool videos she's uploaded on YouTube.
They are related to Xena props, so I asked her if she'd mind I share them here. She agreed, so here they are!
As I told her, I'm pretty sure the breastplate shown in the videos is NOT authentic. More on that after the second part.
So yes, I'm sure both the seller and the appraiser believe the breastplate is a screen-used prop, but let me explain why I don't agree on that. Three reasons:
1.- The breastplate in the video is quite particular. Its design doesn't fit the one seen onscreen -which was tweaked/modified a bit among seasons, but always retained a certain look and characteristics. This one is metal, yes, but it's also off in a good bunch of recognizable details and shapes.
2.- I've known of the existence of this particular piece for quite some time now, and ever since I've tried to spot it ANYWHERE in any episode, with no success. In all the times I've carefully re-watched the series I've found no trace of it. Not a single shot.
3.- My suspicions were confirmed when I met one of the people involved in making the original breastplate props for the series. She confirmed that's NOT one of theirs. Different design.
My bet then? This is a metal copy, probably commissioned by a fan of the series to some foundry or some metal crafter. It may look like the real deal on first sight, but if you are all about details or have one you can compare this one with you'll see they're not the same.
The chakram I believe is legit, though :)
Hope you liked this tiny bit of research. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments guys!
Cheers!
