A Fine Italian Close-Helmet For The Tilt
A Fine Italian Close-Helmet For The Tilt
Late 16th Century
Of iron and designed to fit on the rim of a gorget, with heavy one-piece skull with low deeply roped comb bordered by incised lines and with tubular brass plume-holder at the rear incised with spiral lines between borders of punched scrolls, and visor and upper- and lower-bevors pivoted at the same points and with incised double line borders, the prow-shaped visor with single narrow vision slit, roped forward edge, and a sprung catch engaging with a hole in the upper bevor and operated by a thong release, the upper bevor overlapping it and with hinged ventilation trap on the right with pivoting sprung catch, and with a hole for a screw for the attachment of a grandguard, the lower-bevor shaped to the chin and with turned and roped border around the face-opening, two hinged locking catches on the right engaging with pin-catches on the upper-bevor and skull, the lower edge at front (old repair) and rear with a hollow roped turn bordered by dome-headed brass-capped lining rivets (some rust patination and scattered pitting)
26 cm. high
Sold for £36,000 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • For a related helmet see Lionello Boccia, Il Museo Stibbert a Firenze, Volume terzo: l'armeria europea, 1975, p. 67, cat. no. 50, pl. 50. See also C. Otto von Kienbusch, The Kretzschmar von Kienbusch Collection of Armor and Arms, 1963, p. 69, pl. XLVII, cat. nos. 84 and 85

Category: Arms and Armour


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Specialist - Arms and Armor