Close helmet: HEN.M.67-1933

Maker(s)

Unknown

Entities

• Close helmet

Categories

• Armour

Description

Close helmet, for heavy cavalry use. Formed of a skull with a peak and bevor attached to it by common pivots, and a single gorget-plate front and rear. The rounded skull is formed in two halves joined by a turn to the right along a low, roped medial comb that rises to a point at its apex. The point was originally fitted with a finial, now missing. The skull is decorated with radiating flutes of V-shaped section. It is pierced with four ventilation-holes at each side and fitted with a plume-holder at the nape. The pivots that retain the peak and bevor are modern. Each consists of a screw with a rounded cross-cut, quatrefoil head and a square internal nut. The nearly flat peak projects forward to an obtuse point and is decorated with a medial rib. It is shaped at the brow to fit over the flutes of the skull. The medially-ridged bevor is strongly shaped to the point of the chin and has a deep U-shaped face opening. The face-opening is covered by a detachable, falling buffe of two downward-overlapping lames that is sprung over two studs projecting from the sides of the bevor at its lower corner. The upper edge of the buffe is cut with a broad, shallow notch, forming the lower edge of a vision-slit. The upper lame of the buffe is embossed below the vision-slit with a prominent, transverse belt that is cut with vertical ventilation-slots and decorated at its centre with a scallop-shell. The lames of the falling buffee are each supported at the right of the chin by a sprung rectangular stud. The helmet is fitted with a single gorget-plate front and rear, each of which is embossed to simulate two lames. The lower edge of each curves down to an obtuse central point. The gorget-plates are attached to the flanged lower edges of the bevor and skull by modern round-headed rivets with internal washers at each side.
The main edges of the helmet are decorated with file-roped inward turns, in most cases accompanied by recessed borders. The borders of the gorget-plates rise to central cusps. The subsidiary edges of the helmet are decorated with single incised lines.

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, Early#
Production date: circa AD 1620

Note

Getting enough air to breathe was always a problem when wearing a close helmet and they usually have holes for ventilation in the front. This helmet has a 'falling buffe' over the front of the face. Pushing a catch on the side allowed the buffe to fall down to the chin exposing the face. It could then be raised at the last minute when battle was joined.

North European

The helmet has suffered some damage at the brow of its skull and at the centre of the upper edge of its falling buffe. The flanged lower edge of the bevor is repaired at its centre with a riveted internal patch. The helmet is bright with a light to medium patination overall.