Close Helmet for a Cuirassier

Unknown

ca. 1615–20 · Steel, gold, copper alloy, leather · Arms and Armor

The form and construction of this helmet are typical for an Italian heavy cavalry helmet of good quality from the early seventeenth century. Highly unusual, however, are the engraved and gilded letters and monograms that decorate its russet surface. These probably represent the name or motto of an Italian or French nobleman, but their meaning, perhaps the key to the owner's identity, remain to be discovered.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1615–20

Medium

Steel, gold, copper alloy, leather

Culture

Italian

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2011