Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 1).djvu/341

 of famous personages, and in painted missals. But it must be borne in mind that in effigies the helm usually forms the head-rest to a recumbent knight, and so is only partially visible; while in the seal and missal it is often little better than guesswork to conjecture the construction of the head-piece illustrated. We will, however, quote one English effigy in which the barrel-like helm of the opening years of the XIIIth century is shown to advantage on the head of the wearer, namely, on the figure of an unknown knight in Whitworth Church, Durham. The helm represented (Fig. 311) is almost cylindrical, with the spiraculum in its centre; while the weldings or joints are so arranged as to form a cross when viewed full face. It is interesting to note that unless the wearer of this helm could see through the spiraculum, which seems impossible from the position it occupies in the helm, he could not see at all; for the helm contains no pierced ocularia such as are usually to be found in this type of head defence. Of a very little later date is a sculptured figure in nearly full relief on the exterior of Wells Cathedral (Fig. 312), which is said to represent the almost mythical Earl of Mercia. Here again the flat-topped helm can be noted. The ocularia are indicated higher up in the skull-piece, and there are long rectangular spiracula. A crown is fastened to the summit.

Whitworth Church, Durham. After Stothard

We contend, however, that the most reliable evidence for the actual form and make of the XIIIth century helm can be obtained from the metal aquamaniles, or water vessels, which were so often modelled in detail to represent a mounted and fully armed knight of the period. Little can the artificer of these quaint vessels, which were intended, we may add, to hold the scented water poured over the hands of favoured guests at the banquets of the nobility, have thought that, in modelling these grotesque little