Close helmet: HEN.M.72-1933

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

• Close helmet

Categories

• Armour

Description

Close helmet, for use by a cuirassier. Form a skull, a pivoted peak with a separate face-defence, a bevor attached to the skull by the same pivots as the peak, 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 medial comb. The right side of the skull shows an extensive brazed repair. The short, narrow peak which is attached to the skull by modern round-head pivots with square internal nuts, project forward to an obtuse central point. Its front edge has a plain inward turn accompanied by a recessed border. Attached within the lower edge of the peak by six modern round-headed rivets is a medially-ribbed U-shaped face-defence with a narrow recessed border. It is cut at its upper end with a pair of broad vision-slits, each of which has a plain inward turn at its lower edge. The face-defence is pierced at its centre with a group of nine small circular ventilation-holes in rosette formation, and to either side with a group of five similar ventilation-holes, also in rosette formation. Each of the outer groups is encircled by four diagonal ventilation slots decorated mid-way down each side with small circular holes that break into them. The medially-ridged bevor is shaped to the chin and cut with a broad U-shaped face-opening, the edge of which has a plain, inward partial turn bordered originally by six externally-flush lining rivets of which one is now missing. A swivel-hook riveted at the right of the neck of the bevor engages a pierced stud riveted at the right of the neck of the skull. The front and rear gorget-plates are respectively secured to the flanged lower edges of the bevor and the skull by pairs of modern round-headed rivets with square internal washers. The lower edge of the front gorget-plate descends to an obtuse central point while that of the rear gorget-plates is rounded. The lower edges of both gorget-plates have plain inward turns accompanied by recessed borders containing modern lining-rivets with square internal washers. The secondary edges of the helmet were originally decorated with single incised lines of which only traces remain.

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

Early 17th Century
Production date: circa AD 1630

Note

South German

The helmet is bright with medium patination overall.