Thomas Del Mar - Arms & Armour

116
261
A FINE NORTH ITALIAN ETCHED CLOSE HELMET FOR A
CUIRASSIER, CIRCA 1620
formed of a two-piece skull joined along a high medial
comb recessed at the apex to receive a finial (missing),
embossed with a radiating pattern of shallow flutes, pierced
over each ear with nine circular ventilation-holes in rosette
formation and fitted at the nape with a plume-holder,
obtusely-pointed peak, flat upper bevor and bevor attached
by common pivots (the right replaced), the upper bevor
and bevor each secured at the right side by a swivel-hook,
the upper bevor pierced between a pair of large rectangular
vision-slits and a semi-circular ventilation-slit for the mouth
with alternating rows of circular and rectangular ventilationholes
of smaller size, two gorget-plates at the front, the
lowest descending at its centre to a rounded point, and one
gorget-plate at the rear (the second missing), the main
edges of the helmet decorated with plain inward turns, its
surfaces etched overall on a pearled ground amid branches
of stylised symmetrical foliage with bands of guilloche
enclosing trophies-of-arms, and involving at the point of
the chin and at the centre of the gorget-plates respectively,
a lion’s mask and a lion grasping a further trophy-of-arms
(the left of the peak and the left of the upper gorget-plates
showing losses, the right of the peak, the left of the upper
front gorget-plate and the front left of the lowest front
gorget plate repaired with riveted internal patches, minor
cracks and perforations, some patination and wear overall)
42cm; 16I in high
Inv. no. A017.
The etched decoration of this helmet closely resembles that
of a fine, early 17th century Italian cuirass and reinforcing
breastplate, probably belonging to the same armour, in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Acc. Nos
14.25.796, 797 & 817. See S.V.Grancsay 1955, cat. no. 16,
pp. 8-9).
£10000-12000