Varia's stunt double costume

 Probably one of my favorite costume of the whole series. I recently got the chance to acquire a complete Varia’s costume worn by Varia’s stunt double and body double actresses. 

Do you know that Tsianina Joelson did an audition for Brunhilda character and she didn’t get the role, but the Xena’s series directive liked her so much and decided to write an specific character for her that appeared in about 4 episodes, instead of Brunhilda that was only seen in one. 

Varia’s character finally appeared in the episode “Coming home”, “Dangerous prey”, “Path of vegeance” and “To Helicon and back” from season 6.

The costume includes a leather beaded top tagged as body double, amazing leather belt, two leather skirts (one stunt double and the other stunt double harness one), two leather undershorts, 2 pairs of deer skin gauntlets, bone spike armband, leg beaded band, deer skin shoulder piece, deer skin boot toppers, head band and a incredible Amazon queen shell necklace.

  

 

Amazon queen necklace close-up.

 

Varia's costume version without shoulder piece.

 

Two different suede skirts.

I already have some Varia’s costume set used pieces like the top, skirt or stunt double boots, so I can definitely complete my Varia’s costume and I almost have a second incomplete one. 

Undershorts and back part.

  

I guess that not more than 4 Varia’s costumes were made, the other 2 are the one worn by Tsianina Joelson herself and the one worn by Lucy Lawless, both are in known private collections.

Belt details and boots with boot toppers.

Varia's stunt double hanger named Sheree and Varia's Flashback double hanger.

The lot also includes an original tag with all the costume components.

Photos for reference:

Mum's wood showcase

I decided to pick up this vintage wooden showcase from my mum’s home and display my Xena’s collection differently. Xena is a vintage series, why not a vintage furniture to display it.

 

 

Here there is my set used hero resin chakram, Xena's hero boot, Xena's boot dagger, Xena's Creation whip, Xena's screen used swords (up, Xena's hero plated sword, down, Xena's hero resin sword signed by Lucy) and leather scabbard, Xena's hero metal Yin Yang chakram, Gabrielle's hero plated sai and Gabrielle's stunt foam sais. 

Here there is Callisto's metal Creation sword, Callisto's metal dagger from Todd's Costumes, Athena's stunt sword, Athena's style dagger, Gabrielle's Helicon Amazon Queen sword signed by Renée, Prometheus's metal hero sword, Hord Axe, Xena's Valkyrie stunt helmet, Livia's stunt sword and  Xena's Creation breast dagger.

Mix of props: Xena's sacred katana, Gabrielle's Higuchi Millitia sword, Morloch's sword, Skull style sword, Amazon swords and scabbard, some daggers and Hercules's gauntlets in the back.

Mix of props: Amazon turtle shield, Cleopatra's sword, Caesar's stunt sword, Brunhilda's sword, Indrajit's sword,Valkyrie's sword, Roman style dagger and other daggers.

One side of the showcase and mannequins.

Xena's boot

A recent discovery and addition to my collection is a screen-used Xena’s costume hero boot. Particulary, this one was worn by Gabrielle dressed as Xena played Renée O’Connor in the episode “Greater Good” from season 1 when Xena gets poisoned, and Gabrielle must take her place in fighting a warlord and protecting a village.

It is quite interesting to see how the costume department did those boots… It is made of brown cow leather. This right feet boot looks like it has wear and tear from use on the set, it was stored since the show ended so it is in the same condition it had left the series.

It is written inside “Renee” and other names are crossed out, probably was used by any Xena’s stunt actresses before was used by Renée at the end.

Photos for reference:

Gabrielle's hero sai

A recent addition to my collection: Gabrielle’s screen-used sai used by Gabrielle played by Renée O’Connor during season 5 & 6. Probably one of the rarest props I have ever seen.

Front and back

This sai is an electroplated hero version made of hard resin with a metal rod inside as an armature reinforcement. 

The shinny surface is electroplated, a chemical process of plating is used for many years to deposit a metallic coating to a surface to have a light-weight weapon with a metallic shine for close-ups scenes. Just the hero version of the sai can be seen the distressed marks on the blade clearly.

It is pretty interesting to compare the differences bewteen my Gabrielle's stunt sais made of soft foam for fighting scenes to prevent foand the detailed prop. The sai comes with COA from It’s A Wrap! auction in 2001.

Photos for reference: