Pot helmet: HEN.M.53-1933

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

• Pot helmet

Categories

• Armour

Description

Pot helmet, of great weight, for seige use. Formed in two halves joined medially. The left side overlaps the right side and is secured to it by nineteen externally-flush rivets. The helmet has a rounded crown which is decorated medially with a raised rib enclosed by a pair of narrow grooves, and a broad, integral brim of uniform width which is strongly turned down all around: more markedly at the sides than the front and the rear. The edge of the brim has a plain inward turn bordered by a pair of deeply incised lines. A similar pair of lines encircles the base of the crown, just above the angle of the brim. The border of the brim was formerly occupied by forty-eight round-headed rivets of which one slightly to the right of centre at the front, and another immediately to the left of centre at the rear are now missing. The rivets are alternately fitted with square and with circular internal washers. Those fitted with square washers probably served to retain a lining, while those fitted with circular washers were probably purely decorative. One of the square washers, located slightly to the left of centre at the rear, is missing, while another, located at the centre of the left side, has been replaced by a larger one of octagonal form. Many of the circular washers are lost or severely reduced by corrosion. A circular washer immediately to the left of centre at the rear has been replaced by one of square form. It retains an internal patch that restores a small section of the turn of the brim. The top of each side of the brim is fitted with three horizontally-aligned, round-headed rivets with octagonal internal washers, that formerly served to attach cheek-pieces. The rear two rivets at the left side lack their internal washers. Attached at the nape by a pair of round-headed rivets with circular, internal washers is a plume-holder formed of a tapering tube of U-shaped cross-section with integral arms shaped as fleurons. The upper edge of the tube is shaped as a series of three smaller fleurons. The tube is decorated with a small, circular hole midway down each side, and with a pair of transverse incised lines top and bottom. Each side of the brow of the helmet is deeply struck with the proof-mark of a bullet.

Notes

History note: According to Sir James Mann's annotation of the Potters' valuation of the Henderson Collection of 1933, the helmet came from Combe Abbey. 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, Early#
Circa 1620 CE - 1630 CE

Note

The helmet is heavily patinated to a dark russet colour overall. It may originally have had a black colour. The interior of the helmet shows heavy corrosion, especially at the overlap of the two halves.