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Siege Helmet

ca. 1600–1650
Not on view
Siege engineers, sappers, and bombardiers regularly came under fire at close range and thus were equipped with extraordinarily heavy shot-proof armor. The bowl and cheeks of this example are protected by a double thickness of plates. The right side of the bowl has a proofmark––the dent caused by a bullet fired at a prescribed distance as proof of the armor plate's strength––but the shot did not penetrate the sturdy reinforce to the bowl below.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Siege Helmet
  • Date: ca. 1600–1650
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Steel
  • Dimensions: H. 11 7/8 in. (30.16 cm); W. 9 7/8 in. (25.08 cm); D. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm); Wt. 20 lb. 9 oz (9.34 kg)
  • Classification: Helmets
  • Credit Line: Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
  • Object Number: 14.25.495
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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