Open daily, 10am–5pm, Free

419 Great King Street Dunedin, New Zealand

Helmet, E28.355

Physical Description

Made from a thin sheet of bronze hammered over a peg into a bowl-like shape, and annealed for extra strength and resilience. Dark green patina. Concave profile, neck-guard, and punched holes along the edges which would have been used to secure a decorative trim or padded lining. Has wire loops for the attachment of (horsehair) crest.

Research Notes

Greek helmets of this close-fitting type were invented before 700 BC and worn by both hoplites and cavalry for centuries. With its characteristic shape it was the most popular and widespread of the helmets worn in reality and depicted in art, often with divine and heroic symbolism, from the Archaic period to the Roman. A thin sheet of bronze was hammered over a peg into a bowl-like shape, and annealed for extra strength and resilience. The epithet ‘Corinthian’ refers to the likely city of origin and manufacture of the type, although modern regional tags may be unfounded. This particular helmet is well preserved with a dark green patina.

The earliest Corinthian helmets were simpler, proportionally taller, and straighter, so this one can be dated slightly later. One notes the concave profile, the neck-guard, and the carefully punched holes along the edges, to secure a decorative trim or a padded lining. Hearing and lateral vision may not have been quite as limited as used to be claimed, but exposing the face and ears more seems to have been considered desirable later, as battlefield tactics became more complex.

Almost all helmets in Greek art have a horsehair crest running along the central line and ending in a long tail at the back. The Otago helmet still bears wire loops for the attachment of two raised crests or a low-lying one, which distinctively stretched from side to side. The presence of the clips confirms the need for a thick padded lining or cap, to keep the bronze outer shell off the skull itself and provide additional protection.

Sir Guy Francis Laking (1875-1919) was the son of the physician to King Edward VII, Keeper of the King’s Armoury at Windsor and first Keeper of the London Museum. An art historian with special expertise in European arms and armour, he wrote a definitive, five-volume work on armour. His own collection was put up for sale within six months of his death, and this helmet was presented to the museum by friends and former students in memory of Professor George Samuel Sale (1831-1922), who held the chair in Classics from 1871 until 1908. —Dr Patricia Hannah

References

Hannah, Patricia A. 2008. 'A Corinthian Helmet: Otago Museum, Dunedin'. Scholia: Studies in Classical Antiquity, Vol. 17: 153-163.;

Provenance

Previously owned by Sir Guy Laking

Measurements

Height: 230mm
Weight: 1324.4g

All Rights Reserved