Thank you for the reassuring words, Jim.
As a matter of fact, this cabasset comes from a rather reliable collector, whom i would not question; but apart from its authenticity, i wished to make it clear about the mark (thus origin), which was already my own inferrement, and towards some additional details hopefully provided by our fellow members.
Yo are right in that the "pear stalk" name came after these were of common use in Britain, apparently brought there by the Spaniards; but i fancy more the Cabasset attribution, for reasons connected with either my own and Spanish nomenclature. In principle brought from the Catalunian
Cabasset, is based on Latin
Capaceum, from
Capere, meaning
Contain, by conclusion "Protect" (one's head). Curiously still nowadays we here call a drivers protection helmet a "Capacete".
Good catch on the Vice-Roy "golden helmet", that we have discussed
HERE. I just didn't divert into such beauties direction as i wished to (primarily) focus on the analysis of this one i am now presenting for comments.
It is of course only natural that these capacetes were not only Spanish but also Portuguese; an inevitable saga, due to both our Iberian proximity as also due to the fact that between 1580-1640 Portugal was under domain of the Spanish realm, which certainly increased cultural (and not only) influences.
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