Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

A Senefelder · 28th April 2016, 11:12 AM

This is helmet is of spangen construction wherin the bowl of the helmet is made up of from 2 to 6 plates riveted to a strapwork frame. Helmets have been made in this fashion from the iron age to the Renaissance. In this case the bowl is made from two halves from back to front. It appears that a strap running from side to side was used to provide initial stabilization for installing the strap from back to front to join the two halves along their seem. The bowl was the attached to its brim using a simple flange on the brim, I've made a few hundered helmets in this manner in my years swining a hammer. Kettle helmets constructed in this manner appear frequently in 13th and 14th century manuscript artwork. 13th century kettle helms typically have either a more domed, or truncated cone shape to the bowl portion. In the 14th century a bit more of a peaked bowl begins to appear ( by way of example see the illuminated Address from the town of Prato of Robert of Anjou, c. first half of the 14th c.). In the 14th century it also became a not uncommon practice to wear a kettle helmet over another smaller helmet like a skull cap or cervalier this obviating the need for a liner. This piece is done in the manner of a 14th c. kettle helmet. A lack of a liner does not necessarily indicate it is a fake, I cannot determine if any apparatus was installed for a chin strap, or some sort of method for tying it under the chin from the photos. As to the condition of the steel, while pitting can be faked, I've owned " dug " items from WWI that have been in the exact same shape so that's not necessarily a proof of being fake to me. The thing that does strike me as unusual is the rolled and counter sunk border of the brim of the helmet. This technique is something I associate with the 16th and 17th centuries, pretty much all actual armour I've seen from the 14th century has either outwardly rolled or non rolled edges. I've never seen a rolled and counter sunk edge from that period. Does this make it a fake, not necessarily, I learned long ago that since we're studying the left overs its very difficult to nail down exact periods for stuff as there seems to always be that one odd ball that pops up. Is this real or is it fake? I honestly can't say from just pictures, I would really need hands on time to have a better feel for it. My 2c. worth, take it for what its worth.

28th April 2016, 11:12 AM	#9
A Senefelder Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 214	This is helmet is of spangen construction wherin the bowl of the helmet is made up of from 2 to 6 plates riveted to a strapwork frame. Helmets have been made in this fashion from the iron age to the Renaissance. In this case the bowl is made from two halves from back to front. It appears that a strap running from side to side was used to provide initial stabilization for installing the strap from back to front to join the two halves along their seem. The bowl was the attached to its brim using a simple flange on the brim, I've made a few hundered helmets in this manner in my years swining a hammer. Kettle helmets constructed in this manner appear frequently in 13th and 14th century manuscript artwork. 13th century kettle helms typically have either a more domed, or truncated cone shape to the bowl portion. In the 14th century a bit more of a peaked bowl begins to appear ( by way of example see the illuminated Address from the town of Prato of Robert of Anjou, c. first half of the 14th c.). In the 14th century it also became a not uncommon practice to wear a kettle helmet over another smaller helmet like a skull cap or cervalier this obviating the need for a liner. This piece is done in the manner of a 14th c. kettle helmet. A lack of a liner does not necessarily indicate it is a fake, I cannot determine if any apparatus was installed for a chin strap, or some sort of method for tying it under the chin from the photos. As to the condition of the steel, while pitting can be faked, I've owned " dug " items from WWI that have been in the exact same shape so that's not necessarily a proof of being fake to me. The thing that does strike me as unusual is the rolled and counter sunk border of the brim of the helmet. This technique is something I associate with the 16th and 17th centuries, pretty much all actual armour I've seen from the 14th century has either outwardly rolled or non rolled edges. I've never seen a rolled and counter sunk edge from that period. Does this make it a fake, not necessarily, I learned long ago that since we're studying the left overs its very difficult to nail down exact periods for stuff as there seems to always be that one odd ball that pops up. Is this real or is it fake? I honestly can't say from just pictures, I would really need hands on time to have a better feel for it. My 2c. worth, take it for what its worth.