VIKING AGE IRON HELMET WITH AVENTAIL

Ca. AD 900 - 1100. An iron helmet with a pointed crown and a broad lower edge shaped above the face with arched eye openings and a short integral nose guard. The brow is reinforced by a raised band following the contours of the eye openings. An aventail of interlinked iron rings is attached around the lower edge, descending over the sides and back of the head to protect the neck and shoulders. Size: 380mm x 200mm; Weight: 1.43kg Provenance: From a private British collection; F. J. Philips collection, the Netherlands, 19780s-2000s. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.