Spider Helmet
Not on view
One of the most bizarre head defenses ever designed, the so-called spider helmet takes its name from the arrangement of narrow bars hinged around the rim of the domed bowl and projecting peak recalling the legs radiating from a spider's body. The hanging bars encircled the head and offered protection against cutting blows from swords. When not in use, the bars were folded up and their ends fitted beneath the spring-held disk at the apex. A turn of the screw at the front released the spring, causing the disk to pop up and the bars to fall into place. The bowl retains its padded lining.
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