Said to have been found in Lake Morat, Switzerland, this helmet traditionally has been considered Swiss and of mid-fifteenth-century date. However, the presence of similarly large, deep helmets of this general type in fourteenth- and early-fifteenth-century Italian paintings suggests that both the attribution and date are subject to further review. The steel surface retains traces of its original tinning, an early form of rustproofing.
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Artwork Details
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Title:War Hat
Date:possibly 15th century
Geography:Fribourg
Culture:European
Medium:Steel
Dimensions:H. 9 3/16 in. (23.3 cm); W. 13 in. (33 cm); D. 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 13 oz. (1264 g)
Classification:Helmets
Credit Line:Rogers Fund, 1904
Accession Number:04.3.234
Said to have been found in Lake Morat, Fribourg, SwitzerlandMaurice Chabrières Arlès, Lyon and Paris, France, in 1889; [Charles Stein, Paris, until 1892, sold to Ressman, for Fr. 3000]; Costanino Ressman, Paris and Florence (1892–99; sold together with nine other helmets, for Fr. 50,000, to Dino); Charles Maurice Camille de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Dino, Paris (1899–1904; sold to MMA).
Paris. Esplanade des Invalides. "Exposition Rétrospective Militaire du Ministère de la Guerre en 1889," May 6–October 31, 1889.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "European Helmets 1450–1650: Treasures from the Reserve Collection," January 25, 2000–December 30, 2001.
New York. The Morgan Library & Museum. "The Crusader Bible: A Gothic Masterpiece," October 3, 2014–January 5, 2015.
Austin, TX. Blanton Museum of Art. "The Crusader Bible: A Gothic Masterpiece," December 12, 2015–April 3, 2016, no catalogue.
Cosson, Charles Alexander. Le Cabinet d'Armes de Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Dino. Paris: E. Rouveyre, 1901. p. 23, no. B. 7, pl. 7.
Dean, Bashford, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Catalogue of European Arms and Armor. Hand-book (Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)), Vol. 15. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1905. p. 126 and fig. 50B.
Laking, Guy Francis, and Charles Alexander Cosson. A Record of European Armour and Arms Through Seven Centuries, edited by Francis Henry Cripps-Day. Vol. II. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1920. p. 64, fig. 416.
Offner, Richard, and Klara Steinweg. A Critical and Historical Corpus of Florentine Painting: The Fourteenth Century. Vol. I, section III. New York: College of Fine Art, New York University, 1931. pl. IV (1).
Nicholas, Michael, and G. A. Embleton. Armies of Medieval Burgundy, 1364–1477. Men-at-Arms 144. London: Osprey, 1983. p. 15, fig. G.
Laking, Guy Francis, Charles Alexander Cosson, Francis Henry Cripps-Day, and Claude Blair. A Record of European Armour and Arms Through Seven Centuries. Vol. II. Cambridge: Ken Trotman Ltd., 2000. p. 64, fig. 416.
Pyhrr, Stuart W. European Helmets, 1450–1650: Treasures from the Reserve Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jan 25, 2000 - Dec 30, 2000. p. 6, no. 2, ill.
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