English Civil War Helmet

German practice stick grenade group including: a WWII model 24 Stielhandgranate with pierced red-coloured head; together with a restored relic head of WWI date. 684 grams, 44.5 cm



Acquired from The Lanes Armoury, Brighton, and Graham Currie Militaria. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by copies of the listings.

The brb-code name for Richard Rinker GmbH, was used for training German armed forced during WWII. Its distinctive appearance lead to it being dubbed the stick grenade' or 'potato masher' in British army slang. It used a friction igniter, with a pull cord running through the hollow wooden handle terminating in a porcelain ball.

Each a tapering scrolled bar of zoomorphic form representing serpents or other animals with stylised geometric detailing; attachment perforations to both terminals. 32.7 grams total, 63-67 mm



Acquired on the London art market, 1980s-1990s.

In the 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D., the Celtic fastening system of the ring mail armour (gallica, lorica ferro aspera) became the standard in the Imperial Roman army, with a pivot attached to the breast and hinged to the edges of the humeralia (shoulder guards). The chest fastener had various different designs. The double hooks, S-shaped and usually with snake-head terminals, were secured by a central rivet on the chest. The system allowed excellent freedom of movement, giving greater protection to the shoulders and the arms. Similar fasteners for infantry mail have been found on the Kalkriese battlefield, some of them also decorated with niello and inscribed with the name of the soldier.

The one-piece skull rising to a prominent baluster-shaped finial, facetted upper half, the lower writhen projecting forward to flat obtusely pointed integral peak and backwards to a similar but shorter integral neck-guard, hinged cheek-pieces embossed with a star with four points, an auditory hole between each arm; fitted internally with a quilted canvas lining; with possible punched 'eagle' maker mark to visor projection. 1.54 kg, 24 cm high



with Thomas Del Mar Ltd, 6th December 2017, lot 199. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Thomas Del Mar Ltd catalogue pages and purchase invoice. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11770-203982.

Most original burgonets feature some form of decoration. Rolled and roped edges and pierced cheek-pieces are common, and the finest burgonets were engraved, inlaid and/or selectively coloured and polished. Some were covered in fine cloth in the tradition of sallets. The name seems to be a corrupted form of bourguignotte, the contemporary French term for this helmet type.