Urartian Helmet with Snakes. 8th-7th century B.C. A broad conical bronze helmet, hammered from a single metal sheet, the front with a raised abstract linear motif, four circumferential ribs above the brim, the arched ribs on the front with round terminals, flanking a central rib running down from the apex of the helmet with a stylised animal head(?); pierced holes to the sides for fastening a leather lining and cheek-pieces; mounted on a custom-made display stand. Cf. Barnett, R.D., Watson, W., ‘Russian Excavations in Armenia’ in Iraq, vol.14, no.2, Autumn, 1952, pp.132-147, pl.32, no.2; Borchardt, J.,Homerische Helme: Helmenformen der Ág?is in ihren Beziehungen zu orientalischen und europäischen Helmen in der Bronze-und frühen Eisenzeit, Mainz, 1972, pp.103ff.; Born H., Seidl, U., Schutzwaffen aus Assyrien und Urartu, Sammlung Axel Guttmann IV, Mainz, 1995, pp.90, 94, 107ff., pp.174-175, pls.I and IX, X-XI (AG 168, 385); Christie’s, The art of the warfare, the Axel Guttmann collection, Part I, Wednesday 6 November 2002, London, 2002, no.11 p.18; Christie’s, The art of the warfare, the Axel Guttmann collection, Part II, Wednesday 28 April 2004, London, 2004, pp.32-33; Dezs?, T., Near Eastern Helmets of the Iron Age, (British Archaeological Reports,S992), Oxford, 2001; Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg (2003) in Russian, pl.LXI, nn.88-89-90. 735 grams, 33.7 cm high (2.6 kg, 54 cm including stand) (21 1/4 in.) Acquired before 1972. Formerly with a central London gallery. Property of a London gentleman. Accompanied by an archaeological report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate no.11189-186652. Our helmet presents strong similarity with a specimen from Kurdistan, North of Kirmanshah and South of Saqqiz (Borchard, 1972, fig.9, p.107), and could be collocated in the type III of the Urartian helmets according the classification of Borchard. This category is oriented towards the shape of the various Assyrian spiked helmets, and in fact Barrett and Watson classified these helmets as of Assyrian type (Barnett & Watson, 1952, p.143). In the 8th and especially in the 7th century B.C., spheroconical helmets of Assyrian type spread to Urartu and are archaeologically represented by a large quantity of specimens (Gorelik, 2003, Pl. LXI, 77, 85-92). Sometimes they differ from the Assyrian ones having an exaggeratedly long top. [A video of this lot is available to view on Timeline Auctions Website]