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Closed Burgonet of "Savoyard" Type

ca. 1600–1620
Not on view
"Savoyard" helmets are a distinctive form of late Italian close-helmet worn by cuirassiers, the heavy cavalry outfitted with plate armor worn only to the knee and armed with pistols and swords. The term Savoyard is a reference to the large number of these helmets that the Swiss captured from the troops of the duke of Savoy during an unsuccessful assault on the city of geneva during the night of December 11–12, 1602. These helmets are also referred to as Todenkopf ("death's head," in German), an illusion to the eerie skull-like quality of the face defense. This example, which is unusual in having a fully embossed human nose, has a decidedly more cheerful countenance.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Closed Burgonet of "Savoyard" Type
  • Date: ca. 1600–1620
  • Culture: Italian
  • Medium: Steel, leather
  • Dimensions: H. 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm); W. 10 5/8 in. (27 cm); D. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); Wt. 10 lb. 1 oz. (4562 g)
  • Classification: Helmets
  • Credit Line: Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
  • Object Number: 14.25.512
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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