Missoni

Iron helmet of the Attic type. Hellenistic, eastern Mediterranean area, 300 - 250 BC. H 14cm, W 19.5cm, L 24cm. Made from a single piece of sheet iron. Round shape with frontal bow and volutes. Flattened on top of the calotte. Holes on the sides for attaching the now missing cheek pieces. Expertly restored with small additions. Cf. R. Hixenbaugh, Ancient Greek Helmets. A complete Guide and Catalog (2019) p. 516, no. H114; Ol. Symonenko, Sarmatian-aged Helmets from Eastern Europe, in: P. B. Golden, R. K. Kovalev, A. P. Martinez, J. Skaff, A. Zimonyi (eds.); ARCHIVUM EURASIAE MEDII AEVI, Festschrift for Thomas T. Allsen in Celebration of His 75th Birthday (2015) pp. 277 - 303; Antike Helme. Sammlung Lipperheide und andere Bestände des Antikenmuseums Berlins (1988) p.446, cat. no.53. Helmets of this type were in use from the end of the 4th to the middle of the 2nd century BC. Ancient depictions of these helmets can be found, for example, on the friezes of the Pergamon altar (after 180 BC), on the frieze of the monument of Aemilius Paullus from Delphi (168 BC), on coins of Seleucus II Kallinikos (246-226 BC) and on the Parthian clay sculptures of warriors from ancient Nisa. Cheek flaps and outer edge of the neck guard missing. Provenance: Ex estate of H.G. Jansen, Netherlands, acquired ca. 1974/1975 in the antiquities trade in Antwerp, Belgium.