ATTRIBUTED TO THE LOTUS FLOWER GROUP, ARCHAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 600-525 B.C.

As R. Hixenbaugh explains (op. cit., p. 222), while ancient Greek helmets were primarily about protecting a warrior from deadly force, often they were adorned with designs reflecting cultural rituals and preferences. While some included imagery of animals or mythical beasts, there was also a group of which featured decorative motifs, including the lotus, as seen here. Generally, the lotus was ubiquitous in ancient art, popular as early as the mid-3rd millennium B.C. in Egypt as on lotus-shaped columns in the Mastaba of Ptahshepses, Asbusir Necropolis, or in the hand of tomb-owners on reliefs. In Greek art, especially in the 6th century B.C., the lotus was common decoration on Corinthian vases (see, for example, the lotus on the alabastron by the Painter of Delos 447, pl. 41.2, p. 90 in D.A. Amyx, Corinthian Vase-Painting of the Archaic Period).

This helmet belongs to the Lotus Flower Group, which features incised lotuses often at the peaks of the elongated almond-shaped eyes and between the dramatic brows in repoussé. The type is characterized by a rounded dome narrowing to flaring cheek- and neck-guards and a thick, prominent nose-guard. For a similar example from the Allard Pierson Museum, see pls. 16-17, p. 80 in A. Bottini, et al., Antike Helme and p. 403, no. 25, pl. K25a-c for the type.