Armet

ca. 1490

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About the Artwork

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Markings

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Provenance

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Published References

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Catalogue Raisonné

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Credit Line for Reproduction

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About the Artwork

The sleek, pointed profile of this helmet — described by specialists as a “sparrow’s beak” — would have easily deflected arrows or sword blows. It is a classic example of an armet, a form of visored helmet defined by large cheek flaps that are hinged just above the ears and close over the chin. The pivoting visor, with its slim sight opening, could protect the face when needed or lift to allow better vision and airflow. An additional steel plate reinforces the helmet’s forehead. Armets are usually accompanied by a separate plate defense for the lower face and throat, called a bevor. The circular roundel at the nape of the neck shielded the leather straps that secured this added layer of protection.

The uneven outline of a repair made of copper alloy appears on the tip of the visor’s “beak.” The technique and metal used to patch the steel suggest that this repair was made during the time when the helmet was in use. Today, it vividly evokes the forces that late medieval plate armor was meant to withstand and the damage that helmets could endure while keeping their wearer safe.

Title Armet

Artwork Date ca. 1490

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. Italian

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. Unknown

Medium Steel

Dimensions Overall: 10 1/16 × 8 3/4 × 12 3/8 inches, 7.6 pounds (25.6 × 22.2 × 31.4 cm, 3.4 kg)

Classification Arms and Armor

Department European Sculpture and Dec Arts

Credit Gift of William Randolph Hearst Foundation

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 53.203

Markings

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Provenance

by 1926, (Samuel James Whawell, London, England);
March 3, 1927, purchased by J. Lyttleton from estate sale by (Sotheby's, London, England) lot 322;
by 30 Sept 1928, purchased by William Randolph Hearst [1863-1951] (New York, New York, USA);
1951, bequeathed to the William Randolph Hearst Foundation (New York, New York, USA);
1953- present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA).

For more information on provenance, please visit:

Provenance page

Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

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Published References

Robinson, Francis W. "A Gift of Arms and Armor from the Collection of William Randolph Hearst," Bulletin of the DIA, vol. 33, no. 1, 1953-54, pp. 1-5

Sotheby and Company, London, THE MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION OF ARMOR, WEAPONS WORKS OF ART, THE PROPERTY OF THE LATE S. J. WHAWELL, ESQ., May 3, 1927, sales catalogue, p. 60

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