.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
This elegant helmet is hammered from a single heavy sheet into a domed form. It preserves wide, almond-shaped eyeholes and the remains of a narrow nose-guard. The neck-guard flares slightly at the lower edge, and there are evenly spaced perforations along the perimeter, with additional perforations on each side of the crown. It is adorned with finely incised decoration, including a central dotted rosette above elegant m-shaped brows.
The Corinthian helmet was uniquely named in antiquity, as mentioned by Herodotus in The Histories. The type originated in Greece during the late 8th century B.C. and was designed to provide maximum protection for the face, leaving just a small area of the warrior's face exposed, but made it harder to breathe, see and hear. Its form evolved over two hundred years of use, but the earlier examples have cheek pieces and neck guard all the same length, as seen here. Aesthetics were also a consideration, as visible in the incised details at the crown here. The punched holes along the perimeter were frequently employed to allow the lacing of a leather or linen padded lining, which held the helmet securely on the warrior’s head. For a similar example, see no. C81 in Hixenbaugh, Ancient Greek Helmets: A Complete Guide and Catalog Ancient Greek Helmets: A Complete Guide and Catalog.
Georges Édouard Warneck (1834-1924) was a renowned antiques dealer in Paris. He worked with J.P. Morgan and Calouste Gulbenkian, and founded, among other things, the magazine Le Musée (1904-1909), dedicated to ancient art. Warneck's daughter Jeanne married Arthur Sambon (1867-1947), a well-known figure in the Paris art world.
The Corinthian helmet was uniquely named in antiquity, as mentioned by Herodotus in The Histories. The type originated in Greece during the late 8th century B.C. and was designed to provide maximum protection for the face, leaving just a small area of the warrior's face exposed, but made it harder to breathe, see and hear. Its form evolved over two hundred years of use, but the earlier examples have cheek pieces and neck guard all the same length, as seen here. Aesthetics were also a consideration, as visible in the incised details at the crown here. The punched holes along the perimeter were frequently employed to allow the lacing of a leather or linen padded lining, which held the helmet securely on the warrior’s head. For a similar example, see no. C81 in Hixenbaugh, Ancient Greek Helmets: A Complete Guide and Catalog Ancient Greek Helmets: A Complete Guide and Catalog.
Georges Édouard Warneck (1834-1924) was a renowned antiques dealer in Paris. He worked with J.P. Morgan and Calouste Gulbenkian, and founded, among other things, the magazine Le Musée (1904-1909), dedicated to ancient art. Warneck's daughter Jeanne married Arthur Sambon (1867-1947), a well-known figure in the Paris art world.