Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/117



German, early XVIth century. Collection: Author

helmet (Fig. 1164). Here the stubborn adherence to the XVth century armet form maybe noticed. The visor has more or less the same kind of construction as that of the German helmet just mentioned; but the cheek-pieces are hinged farther back at the side. We have every reason to believe that this little head-piece, for its proportions are small, is of Milanese make of about 1510. Of the next helmet which we illustrate (Fig. 1165), part of the lining is original; though the aiglettes which kept the lining in its place are restorations. It has been customary to suppose that the twin holes in the crown-pieces of these helmets were intended for fixing mantlings, lambrequins, and plumes. This may sometimes have been the case, indeed the very small size of these holes and their position in this and in other helmets would seem to favour the theory; but it may be considered that their usual service was for the passage of the aiglettes that retained in position the lining coif of the helmet. This helmet, though somewhat thin, is of grand proportions, and suggests the head-piece of a very big man. It originally formed part of the Burges Collection, and is illustrated in De Cosson's and Burges' ''Helmets and Mail''. Next we illustrate a helmet in the National Bavarian Museum of Munich, a head-piece far less "bullety" in its outline, but of somewhat later date (Fig. 1166). It is a splendid example of workmanship, with a solidly constructed visor and a low grooved comb to the skull-piece. Other illustrations show a smaller variation of this helmet (Fig. 1165), and one that has an armet-like visor (Fig. 1167); it is in the National Germanic Museum of Nuremberg, as is also a considerably later example of the plain Maximilian helmet (Fig. 1168). This latter specimen has a very strongly accentuated bellows visor; but it has that globular