Details
AN ITALIAN CLOSE-HELMET OF SO-CALLED TODENKOPF OR SAVOYARD TYPE
CIRCA 1630
With heavy rounded two-piece skull with tubular plume-holder at the rear, solid mask-like visor with small ventilation slit over the mouth, the upper edge scooped out for vision on either side of a central point, peaked fall bent down to form two 'eyebrow' like projections over the visor, both pivoted at the same points as the bevor, the latter with locking catch on the right, single gorget-plate at front and rear, and neck-strap with brass buckle, decorated with a hatched medial band between fillets extending from the base of the skull to the visor, flanked on the latter by pairs of similar bands, the remaining surfaces engraved throughout against a stippled ground with a design of running foliage bearing flowers and fruit and framing cartouches, two large ones on each side of the skull framing draped Classical female figures, one representing Justice, and smaller ones on the gorget-plates bearing a coat-of-arms, the main edges turned and roped throughout (slight damage)
11½in. (29.1cm.)
