1679 Helmet

1679) DECORATED CUIRASSIER HELMET CIRCA 1610 FROM AN ITALIAN ANCESTRAL COLLECTION: Imagine walking into a Villa in Southern Italy and seeing a room full of arms and armor from the same family for over 400 years! This helmet is 100% original as the day it was made. It has three pierced lines at the center extending from the visor tip, over the comb, and terminating at the nape and two lines at opposite sides also running vertically. 17th-Century Arms and Armor are much less expensive than 16th-Century and still reasonably affordable. Close helmets (close helms) circa 1600–1620 are a great value. They look somewhat similar to late 16th-century close helmets but for half the cost. Many were seldom used, so they tend to be in superb condition.

The most sought-after collectibles in armor are helmets. A helmet protects the most vital part of the knight’s body, the head. Helmets (especially close helmets), in general, are more expensive than any other part of armor. Why? Because helmets are the earliest form of body armor. Both aristocratic knights and simple infantrymen used them. Helmets are the most difficult item to make in a suit of armor. Because of their elegance, workmanship, and symbolism of power and chivalry, helmets are readily accepted by most as works of art, even by non-collectors.

Discussion: After circa 1550, warfare began to change. Changes were mandated to compensate for a better-organized and faster style of warfare. Armor, after 1550 became less technical compared to its predecessor. As time progressed, armorers generally started taking more and more shortcuts, such as making two-piece skulls (circa 1600) as opposed to one-piece. Tassets were decorated to look like they were made of lames. Roping, fluting, etching, and embossed decorations quickly faded. During the late 1500s and early 1600s’ cavalry consisted of a three-quarter armor with a close helmet such as the one under discussion and knee-length tassets. Greaves and sabatons were replaced with leather boots. From 1620 onwards, they were referred to as cuirassier after discarding their lances. The Germans continued to manufacture cuirassier armor much longer than England and other parts of Europe until circa 1650. The cuirassier was active as early as the English Civil War and in the Thirty Years’ War. By circa 1620, defensive armor changed to the mere armor a harquebusier would wear.

Conclusion: Close helms are expensive and difficult to find. Most that have appeared in the market are composite. Nothing says chivalry like a close helm.