A heavy bronze helmet of Archaic Corinthian typology, hammered from a single sheet with round-ended straight nose guard, large eye openings and arched cheek-pieces; the edges with regularly disposed holes for attaching the inner lining; flaring flange at the rear, separated from the cheek-guards by symmetrical angled nicks; remains of a bronze pin for the crest attachment on the bowl and two holes on the neck-guard for fastening the metallic crest on the back; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

PROVENANCE:
Acquired from an important French collection on March 2020; previously on the New York art market, acquired 17 September 2007 from a private collection, Connecticut, USA, who acquired the helmet on the New York art market in 2004; before that acquired from Gorny & Mosch, Munich, Germany, 13 December 2003, lot 113; formerly in a private collection, Cologne, Germany, acquired c.1990; accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport no.219870 and by an academic report by military specialist Dr. Raffaele D'Amato and a copy of a Art Loss Register certificate number 5112.WW; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10808-178692.

PUBLISHED:
Hixenbaugh, R. and Valdman, A., Ancient Greek Helmets: A Complete Guide and Catalogue, 1st January 2019, p.396, C426.

LITERATURE:
See Gerhard, D., Auserlene Griechische Vasenbilder, Dritten Teil, Berlin, 1847; Kunze, E., VII. Bericht uber die Ausgrabungen in Olympia, Berlin, 1961; Snodgrass, A.M., Arms & Armor of the Greeks, London, 1967; Pflug, H., ‘Korintische Helme’, in Bottini, A., Egg, M., Von Hase, F. W., Pflug, H., Schaaf, U., Schauer, P., Waurick, G., Antike Helme, Sammlung Lipperheide und andere Bestände des Antikenmuseums Berlin, Mainz, 1988, pp.65-106; for similar helmets see Pflug, 1988, pp.398, 400-402, 404-405.

FOOTNOTES:
The cut-offs at the base of the bowl, which separate the front part from the neck-guard, allow it to be identified in the so-called Myros group of the 2nd stage of the Corinthian helmets, and more in detail as the type with side-nicks (Helmen mit Seitenzwickeln) according to Künze classification. The remains of the crest holder upon the bowl, which should have a parallel holder on the other side, allows us to imagine the crest as formed by a bivalve metallic phalos, as can be seen on various scenes depicting hoplitic fighting (Gerhard, 1847, pl.CCVIII), possibly referring to a commanding rank.