This close helmet produced in Germany in the mid-16th century is one of the masterpieces of the Hermitage’s collection of Western European arms and armour. The crown of the helmet has been chased with grooves, the lines of which become part of the decoration of the piece. A corrugated surface produced stiffening ribs that made the headgear stronger. The side surfaces of the helmet are embellished with splendid plant ornament on an engraved background and the depiction of a man’s face in profile.
The lower edge of the helmet is shaped into a flange that had a functional purpose. The early 16th century saw the appearance of the neck-protector known as the gorget that armourers tried to unite with the helmet. To that end the upper edge of the gorget was made in the form of a circular protruding flange, smooth or twisted. The lower edge of the helmet was shaped into a hollow flange that overlapped that on the gorget, sliding freely along it without the two separating. This type of helmet became known as a Burgundian armet.