Close helmet: HEN.M.58-1933

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

• Close helmet

Categories

• Armour

Description

Close helmet, for heavy cavalry use, with a restored visor. Formed of a rounded, one-piece skull with a 'bellows' visor and a bevor attached to it by common pivots. The skull has a low, roped, medial comb that terminates just above the brow at the front, and just above the nape at the rear. The comb is bordered to either side by a low, raised rib of v-section. The front edge of the skull is cut away to form an arched face-opening bordered by seven, modern, externally-flush lining-rivets. The lower edge of the skull is hollowed to lock over the upper edge of a collar, and is boldly file-roped. Eight lining-rivets run around the back of the skull at the height of the nape. The front one on each side, which lies beneath the bevor, is externally flush, while the remainder are round-headed with circular, internal washers. A pair of rivet-holes for the attachment of a plume-holder is pierced just beneath the rear end of the comb. A pair of lace-holes is pierced to either side of the comb towards the rear of the top of the skull. A large, modern hole is pierced low on the right side of the skull, while a pair of horizontally-aligned holes of similar character are pierced low on the left side of the skull. A modern swivel-hook, which engages a pierced stud on the bevor, is attached at the right side of the neck of the skull by a modern, round-headed rivet. Each side of the skull is pierced to receive the modern pivots that attach the visor and bevor. The pivots consist of bolts with plain, circular internal heads, secured by circular, external nuts decorated around their edges with filed lobes. The visor is of 'bellows' form with five steps beneath the centrally-divided vision-slit, separated by single incised lines. The upper surfaces of the lowest four steps are each pierced with eight circular ventilation holes. The long arms of the visor have rounded ends. The left end is repaired at its upper edge with an internal patch secured by two externally-flush rivets. The upper edge of the visor rises to a low cusp at its centre, while the lower edge descends to a low cusp at each side of the chin. A modern lifting-peg with a baluster terminal is riveted to the right side of the visor, just to the rear of the 'bellows'. The lower right edge of the visor is pierced just in front of the cusp with an oval hole to engage a spring-stud on the bevor. The bevor is strongly shaped to the chin. Its front edge is cut away to form a deep, v-shaped face-opening, bordered by six modern externally-flush lining rivets, now interrupted at the centre of the chin by a large internal patched repair secured by twelve externally-flush rivets, two at least of which occupy holes formerly occupied by additional lining-rivets. Seven modern, round-headed lining-rivets, with circular, internal washers ran around the top of the neck of the bevor. The rearmost one on the right lacks its head, and together with a further round-headed rivet located just above and to the front of it, retains a flat, diagonally directed internal spring. A modern mushroom-shaped stud and a plain circular stud are respectively riveted at the mid-point and distal end of the spring and protrude through holes in the bevor. The former serves as a push-button and the latter as a catch for the visor.

Notes

History note: According to a label attached to the helmet, it was acquired at the sale of the collection of Sir Henry Farnham Burke, 12 July 1924, lot 65. 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

16th Century
Circa 1530 CE - 1540 CE

Note

South German

The visor, despite the patched repair to its left arm, appears to be of 19th century make. The rest of the helmet has been re-patinated to match the artificial patina of the visor. The skull has corroded through at some points at the rear of the comb.