Kunst und Antiquitaeten - Antiken, Asiatika und Russische Kunst

| 101 A Pseudo-Chalcidian bronze helmet with ram’s horns, northern Black Sea area, 4th century B.C. Bipartite bronze helmet with form elements of Chalcidian helmets. The two halves of the calotte are riveted in the middle at irregular intervals of 1.5 - 4 cm. Above the smoothly held forehead, one rib each near the edges, extending over the crown to the back of the head. Between these ribs sit the rivets connect- ing the two halves. At the back of the head, the ribs curve slightly forward. Below them, under both ribs, an angular rib parallel to the course of the upper one. A stylised, curled ram’s horn with angular ribs driven outwards on each side. In front, above the face, two outwardly driven, stepped and arched “eyebrows”, which join in the middle to form an extremely short- ened nasal. Behind this, the entire rim runs horizontally and is flanged outwards. In the front half of the helmet, a U-shaped cheek flap on each side, connected to the helmet by a five-piece tubular hinge. The second and fourth tubes from a rectangular hinge flap attached to the inside of the helmet with two rivets. The middle and outer tubes created by repointing the upper edge of the cheek flap in- wards. Along the edge of the cheek flap inside a rib accompanying the edge. The inner sur- face decorated with a stag driven out from the inside. A small crescent-shaped face cut-out at the top front, a hole at the bottom for a latch strap. Beautiful dark green patina with scat- tered oxide deposits. Two pressure marks with small cracks on the ram’s horns, another hair- line crack on the left ram’s horn. Otherwise an excellently preserved antique helmet. The two-piece construction with echoes of late Chalcidian helmets (“eyebrows” and nasal , movable cheek flaps) is typical of local forms from the northern Black Sea region. The two- piece design is probably an influence from the Central Asian region and untypical for Medi- terranean helmets of this period. Height with cheek flaps ca. 30 cm, without cheek flaps 18 cm. Width 20.5 cm. Length 22.5 cm. P rovenance : East German private collec- tion. 287215 I - II € 15.000