Sasanian Bronze Important and complete Helmet with balls decorations. 21 cm L. Good state. Published.

Helmet Sassanid, 6th century AD MATERIAL: Bronze DIMENSIONS: Height 20. 5 cm; length 21 cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, London. Previously in a private collection in Germany, acquired in the 1960s. PUBLICATIONS: -Farrokh, K. , Karamian, Gh. , Kubic, A. , & Oshterinani, M. T. An Examination of Parthian and Sasanian Military Helmets. In “Crowns, hats, turbans and helmets: Headgear in Iran History. Volume 1: Pre-Islamic Period. Siedlece-Tehran. 2017. p. 154. Fig. 24. EXHIBITIONS: Feriarte, Madrid, 2019. CONDITION: The bronze displays a very good brown patina. Some of the decorative spheres on the helmet have been lost and some small cracks have been reinforced. However, the piece is not fragmented in any way. DESCRIPTION: This helmet belongs to the type known as “Spangenhelm”, a conical helmet which appeared in the 3rd century AD on the steppes in the north of Iran. It was possibly created for the Sarmatian cavalry. It is a helmet which did not present any great technical challenge in its making, as it was made from bronze plates which were beaten horizontally to form its basic components. The term “Spangenhelm”, comes from specialized German literature, and alludes to the form of the helmet: metal strips or braces (Spangen in German) intersect to form a convex dome making a frame for the oval plates which are joined to the frame of the helmet (helm in German) in segments. All the pieces are joined together with spherical rivets which not only have a structural function, but also create pleasing aesthetic forms through the play of volume and chiaroscuro, converting the helmet into a beautiful testimony to Sassanid mastery in metalwork, and also calling to mind the luxurious pearl-incrusted Byzantine crowns. Similar helmets can be found in the British Museum (n. 22497 and n. 22498) . However, their state of conservation is not of the best. The helmet was designed to repel attacks which come from above, as its form meant that a sword or lance striking down on it would not become caught up, but would slide laterally. Given the presence of dents and cracks (now restored) , it is possible to believe that the piece in question was at some stage worn in battle. In some cases models have been preserved with nasal bars or cheek guards or neck coverings (like the one conserved in the Museum of Cetinska Krajina Region in Croacia) . The helmet would also have had an inside lining made from leather or linen, to facilitate its use, to absorb sweat and also partially cushion the impact of blows received. There were different types of helmets among the Sassanids. The conical helmet, however, brings to mind the sort of headdress (called kulah) that could be seen in representations of the nobles in the 6th century AD. This type of Sassanid helmet spread widely among the Germanic peoples, as can be seen in the reliefs on Trajan’s Column (113 AD) and in the different adaptations in late Roman and Byzantine epochs (such as the example conserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which came from Trévoux, France. The high point of the Sassanid army is usually considered to be connected to the figure of King Ardashir I (226-241) , the founder of an empire which, together with the Roman and Byzantine, gave form to the geopolitics of Eurasia for 400 years. Ardashir reorganised the Achaemenid army and adopted the Parthian cavalry, employing new weapons and siege strategies. Perhaps the greatest expression of his power was the use of cataphracts, the Sassanid armoured heavy combat cavalry. Their equipment included this type of helmet, chainmail armour, breastplate gloves, protectors for the thighs, carcjaj and a complete covering of armour for the horse. BIBLIOGRAPHY: -\t. Splendeur des Sassanides, Ausstellung Brussels, 172. 1993. -\t. BORN, H. Projektvorschlag zu den spätrömischen Kamm- und den frümittelalterlichen Spangenhelmen, Acta Prehistorica et Archaeologica, 35. 2003. p. 78-89. -\t. DEMANGE, F. ed. Les perses sassanides. Fastes d’un empire oublié (224-642) . Editions Findakly. París. 2007. n. cat. 133, p. 190. -\t. FARROKH, K. Sassanian Elite Cavalry AD 224-642, Oxford, Osprey. 2005. p. 10, f. 7-8. -\t. FRASSETTO, M. Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe: Society in Transformation. 2003. p. 367. -\t. GUEY, J. Essai sur la Guerre Parthique de Trajan (114-117) . Bibliotheque d’Istos, II. 1987. -\t. MORTIMER, P. Wooden’s Warriors: Warfare, Beliefs, Arms & Armour in Northern Europe During the 6th and the 7th centuries. Anglo-Saxon books. 2011. -\t. VOGT, M. Spangenhelme. Baldenheim und verwandte Typen. Monographien des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums, 39. 2007. Notes: - The piece includes authenticity certificate. - The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union) . Not taxes. - According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subject to export taxes and will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price and the tax rate is not applied directly on the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it: - Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. - From 6. 001 to 60. 000 euros: 10%. This export permit application process can take between 1-2 months maximum. - The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.