  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
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  Life Dates
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  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.
  
  
  
  
  Italian
  
  
  Medium
  Steel
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall: 10 1/16 × 8 3/4 × 12 3/8 inches (25.6 × 22.2 × 31.4 cm)
  
  
  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
  
  
  Copyright
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