Object Description
Ca. 600 BC
A finely modelled helmet made of a hammered bronze sheet, popular in the northern Greek region of Illyria, in the modern-day Balkans. The helmet has a rectilinear opening for the face and long, pointed cheekpieces. Horizontal ribbing on the forehead frames the upper facial opening, and twin parallel ridges on the crown are each flanked by a group of three ribs in a low relief, engraved band. The back and sides flare out to guard the neck and have three perforations for the attachment of a leather liner. This example has a rich, blue-green patina and is a somewhat more impressive example of Type II, variant A, with a more pronounced dome-like form.
The Roman historian Appian wrote that the Illyrians lived in the area south of the Macedonians and Thracians and were traditionally farmers and miners. During wartime, however, they were respected as seasoned soldiers, primarily for their infantry capabilities. These helmets were made for hoplites, the citizen-soldiers of the Greek city-states, who often paid for their own bronze armor. As a result, regional styles developed, and there is a great deal of variation in shape and form. For similar examples, see the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1992.180.1, 2006.221, 2003.407.6) and the Louvre (CA 2221Or). See H. Pflug, ‘Illyrische Helme’, in A. Bottini et al. Antike Helme, Mainz, 1988, 55-9. For a discussion of Type II, variant A, see Angelo Bottini et. al. Antike Helme (Mainz, 1988) pp. 48-52, and ef. Figs. 7-8, p. 49. For further reading see, A. M. Snodgrass, Early Greek Armour and Weapons. From the End of the Bronze Age to 600 B.C., Edinburgh, 1964.
The item has undergone X-ray fluorescence analysis to confirm the metallurgical content suggesting its ancient origin and lack of modern trace elements.
Size: L: 280mm / W: 200mm; 1.16kg