LOT 0316

Urartian Bronze Helmet with Embossed Decoration

9TH-7TH CENTURY B.C.

16 1/8 in. (1.5 kg total, 41 cm including stand).

A Caucasian or Urartian helmet of domed profile, hammered from a single sheet of metal; radiating rows of small repoussé bosses with interstitial rows connecting larger examples; shallow recess at the forward edge; old accession label to inner face 'AG334'; later pseudo-inscription; some restoration.

Ex Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, Germany [1944-2001], AG 334, 1990.
with Hermann Historica, Munich, Germany, 2008.
Private collection, New York, USA.

Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13262-254403.

Cf. Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg, 2003, pl.LXII, nos.7,15,16, from Caucasus, for similar typologies of helmet; see also Erlikh, V.R., ‘Helmet of the archaic era from the Krasnodar museum. To the problem of attribution (in Russian)’ in Oriens, no.6, 2021 (in Russian), pp.102-117; see also for Urartian helmets in general, Borchardt, J., Homerische Helme: Helmenformen der Ágāis in ihren Beziehungen zu orientalischen und europäischen Helmen in der Bronze-und frühen Eisenzeit, Mainz, 1972; Born, H. and Seidl, U., Schutzwaffen aus Assyrien und Urartu, Sammlung Axel Guttmann IV, Mainz, 1995; Christie’s, The Art of Warfare, the Axel Guttmann collection, Part I, Wednesday 6 November 2002, London.

The Urartian craftsmen were especially famous for their metalworking skills. However, the shape of this helmet differs considerably from the usual pointed Urartian examples, and shows a strong influence from the Scythian and Moeotic military headgear, which is not surprising if we consider that Urartu had been at war with the Scythian tribes of Caucasus since the 7th century B.C. The remainder of the helmet is its bowl, embossed and decorated, and an unusual recess on the front part. The helmet was used with a padded cap, which probably formed an integral part of the same headgear.