| 139 A South Italian Chalcidian helmet with cheek guards, 4th century B.C. Typical Lower Italian version of a Chalcidian helmet, as worn by Samnite warriors, among others. Bronze with dark green patina and scattered oxide deposits. One slightly defined central ridge running over the flat skull. The skull offset from the side panels by an inwardly retracted section. The section extending upwards to a point above the centre of the forehead, below the ridge on the crest. The side panels straight at the front, edged at the bottom by a profile of four horizontal ridges and extending down slightly just before the cheek guards. Ear cut-outs behind the cheek pieces, the panels behind them drawn downwards into lateral lobes, which run upwards again in a slight curve at the nape. The edges of the panels behind the ear openings are bent outwards into a narrow border. The cheek guards attached by means of tubular hinges, the interlocking bushings of which are fastened to metal sheets, each attached with four rivet pins on the inside of the helmet and cheek guards, the heads of which appear as thorns on the outside. The edges of the cheek guards, like those of the rear edge of the helmet, curving out into a narrow edge strip. The cheek pieces with a curved outline, flaring out at the back and with a central lobe between two rounded openings at the front. Three transverse rivet pins across the crest on the skull, which were originally used to attach a metal sheet with plume sockets, this sheet has been lost. Plume sockets of this kind are often seen in contemporary paintings of the region. The skull damaged by a blow to the centre of the crown and by a gash on the right-hand side, however, the basic shape of the helmet is not deformed. The cheek pieces with the broken hinges on the inside can be attached with modern hooks and eyelets and thus replaced in their original position so that they are movable. Despite the damage to the skull, the helmet offers an attractive overall appearance and a remarkably well-preserved metallic substance without any replacements or re-lining of the skull. Length 22 cm, width 18 cm, height without cheek pieces approx. 18 cm, with cheek pieces approx. 26 cm. CULTURAL ASSET! Provenance: From the Axel Guttmann Collection (inventory number AG 284/H65). Acquired at Axel Weber, Cologne, in 1989. 349210 II - € 9.000
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