Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/241



North Italian, about 1590. H 225, Musée d'Artillerie, Paris

North Italian, about 1590-1600 H 247, Musée d'Artillerie, Paris

d'Artillerie of Paris, H 225 (Fig. 1289). We select it for illustration as showing just the ordinary Pisan etching of the Pompeo della Cesa school, the most usual form of decoration for such a head-piece. It belongs to the closing years of the XVIth century, like the next cabasset illustrated (Fig. 1290), which, however, is in all probability a few years later in date. It may be noted that this helmet, which also has its surface enriched with bands of Pisan etching, has a skull-piece elongated but less elegant than those found in other cabassets which we have figured; the brim, too, is small, straight, and slightly inclined downwards. In this case the heads of the rivets that held the lining in place project on the exterior as pointed pyramidical spikes, a not uncommon fashion of the early years of the XVIIth century. Exactly of the same form is that cabasset in the Wallace Collection, No. 539 (Fig. 1291). Our reason for alluding to this particular head-piece, which is of very late date, possibly about 1600 to 1610, is that gold azzimina damascening of quite a high order can be seen decorating its surface. It is further enriched with embossing in very low relief and gold plating. On either side of the skull-piece is an oval panel representing the siege of a town; above these are smaller upright oval panels with figures of Lucretia and Fortuna; at either end are other oval panels containing amorini, masks, etc. All the panels are united by strapwork. From the quasi-Oriental