Artwork Page for Close Helmet (from a funerary achievement?)

Details / Information for Close Helmet (from a funerary achievement?)

Close Helmet (from a funerary achievement?)

c.1590–1625
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Holland (?), late 16th-early 17th Century

Medium
gilded steel (invaded with rust); red velvet lining, plume holder
Measurements
Overall: 33 x 34 x 21.3 cm (13 x 13 3/8 x 8 3/8 in.)
Weight: 3.83 kg (8.44 lbs.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1787
Public Domain
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Location
210A Armor Court
Print
?

Did You Know?

This helmet was decorated with a technique known as fire-gilding, an incredibly toxic process involving mercury that produced a gold finish, now worn away.

Description

This helmet was originally intended for field use. Later, it seems to have served a funerary purpose, probably as an ornament (known as a funerary achievement) suspended over the church tomb of an unidentified knight. As such, it would have been a rich and imposing symbol of the dead knight's social rank and personal authority.
A gilded steel close helmet is designed with a rounded skull featuring a high central comb. Below a narrow horizontal eye slit sits a pointed visor pierced with clusters of small breathing holes on the right. The base consists of a wide, multi-layered collar accented by rows of small raised rivets. Patches of dark rust cover the surface, while red fabric lining peeks from the neck opening.

Close Helmet (from a funerary achievement?)

c.1590–1625

Holland (?), late 16th-early 17th Century

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