Close helmet: HEN.M.19A-1933

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

• Close helmet

Categories

• Armour

Description

Close helmet, for use by a cuirassier. Formed of a skull with a peak, an upper bevor and a bevor attached to it by common pivots, and a single gorget-plate front and rear. The skull is made in two halves joined medially by a riveted overlap to the left. Its crown is decorated with ten radiating flutes of shallow V-shaped section, emphasised at their crests by pairs of incised lines, and separated by radiating ribs. The apex of the skull lacks a finial and star-shaped washer. The peak is of short, narrow, flat form. Its obtusely-pointed front edge has a plain inward turn accompanied by a recessed border. The remaining edges of the peak are bordered by pairs of incised lines, now much rubbed. The slightly rounded, medially-ridged upper bevor is cut with a broad rectangular notch at its upper edge, forming the lower edge of the vision-slit, which is divided by a bar that projects upwards from the centre of the inward-turned lower edge of the notch. Each side of the upper bevor is pierced with ventilation-holes of circular and keyhole shape arranged in a lozenge-formation. A lozenge-shaped ventilation-hole is pierced over the mouth. The bevor is secured to the skull at the left side of the neck by a modern swivel-hook and pierced stud. The gorget-plates each curve down to obtuse central points. Their lower edges have plain inward turns. They are rigidly secured to the flanged lower edge of the bevor and skull, respectively, by pairs of round-headed rivets at each side. Part of the composite three-quarter armour HEN.M.19A-G-1933.

Notes

History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

17th Century#
Production date: circa AD 1630

Note

The gorget-plates are associated with the other elements of the helmet. Each has been trimmed and reworked to make it fit the latter. The rear gorget-plate was originally a front gorget-plate.

The helmet is bright with a light to medium patination overall, and some heavier pitting on the upper bevor and the gorget-plates.