A RARE NORTH ITALIAN BURGONET C.1570-80

Brescia. Skull of one piece with elegantly backswept rolled and roped brim. The front with sunk border. Anthropomorphic cheek pieces with articulated chin strap. This helmet is distinctive for its deep free flowing etched decoration. Comparable etching can be seen on a “Spanish” morion, Royal Armories, Leeds, #IV.525 illustrated in European Armour in the Tower of London pl. CII,d. 525. The etching has been identified by A. Gaibi, L’Arte Bresciana delle Artature p.15 as Brescian. In form, and decoration, this helmet can be compared to a burgonet in the Museo Civico L. Marzoli, Brescia (op. cit. pl.12). A partial armor in the same collection (ibid. pl.10) has very similar decoration. That armor and four other armors decorated in the same manner are illustrated in Armi Antiche dal Museo Civico l. Marzolli, no’s 15, 22,23, 24 25, 107 and 115. These are decorated with gilt etching on a blued grounds as this example was originally. A comb morion Cat.#121 and four breastplates, #275 and 277-9 also of 1570-80 in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan (op.cit pl. 141 &300-3) show the same king of decoration and are likewise attributed to Brescia. A helmet from a well know and thoroughly researched group of which very few if any others are in private hands.