Ozel Turkbas Belly Dancing Costume, ca. 1970
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GUEST:
We have a belly dancing costume of my mother's, Ozel Turkbas. My father and my mother met making a movie together. My father had several movies made, and when they first met, making my mother's first movie, they immediate fell in love, and my father became my mother's manager. So they traveled the world, and my mother belly-danced for the Prince of Monaco and all over the world. And she was in the opera "Thaôs."
She has several albums-- "Alla-Turka," "How to Belly Dance for your Sultan," many books. She was quite an amazing woman. She always danced within... from her soul, and it really came out.
APPRAISER:
What you brought is a classic, beautiful, custom belly dancing costume. It's got a choker, the halter top, the bottom, and over on the table we have one of the two wrist pieces.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
I was so happy you also had a whole bunch of photos of your mom and your mom and your dad together. When was the last time she danced professionally?
GUEST:
I believe in 1979.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
I was two years old and crying in the background, and she said, "That's it."
APPRAISER:
Hard to be a working mom.
GUEST:
Yes, yes, yes.
APPRAISER:
There has been a huge resurgence in belly dancing. It's a wonderful artistic and athletic sport. Really in the last five to ten years it's really kind of... it's taken off. Belly dance classes. This is exactly what they still wear. It's a very traditional kind of look. Of course, your mom's is uber special. And so what I'm going to tell you is for replacement purposes, because I know they're your family's, and they're not ever going to be sold. And my replacement value is based on what it would cost to have a custom piece made. There's not a huge circle of collectors in the belly dancing per se. And so of the ones that you've brought here today, and this is one of the most beautiful ones, they would cost $3,000 to replace. That should be your insurance, for a total of $18,000 for what you've just brought today.
GUEST:
Wonderful.
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