GREEK CHALCIDIAN DECORATED BRONZE HELMET

Ca. 500-300 BC. Greek. A beautiful example of a Chalcidian helmet. The stylised and ornately decorated bowl is forged in one piece and embossed with a geometric pattern. It features high-arched brows with two slender eyebrows below a peaked raised band. The curved cheek pieces are attached with hinges; a hole for the attachment of a chin-strap is visible. Chalcidian helmets are named after similar helmets depicted on pottery vases from the Euboean city of Chalcis. This type of ancient Greek helmet was essentially a lighter and less restrictive form of the Corinthian helmet. The hinged cheek pieces were anatomically formed to fit closely to the face and tended to curve upward towards the eye, where large circular openings provided a wider field of view than the Corinthian helmets. Mounted on a custom-made stand. Intact with partial restoration, beautiful patina. For more information on Chalcidian helmets, see Everson, T. (2004). Warfare in Ancient Greece: arms and armour from the heroes of Homer to Alexander the Great. The History Press, 116–124.Size: L:285mm / W:230mm; 770g. Provenance: Property of a European collector, previously acquired from a gallery in Brussels; formerly in Flemish collection of Mr. L. De Backer, 1912-1995.