This Roman helmet was made for display rather than battle.
It is a ‘parade’ or ‘sports’ helmet
of a type used by cavalrymen for displays and tournaments
rather than at war, and is made of thin brass sheet that
has been beaten into shape and then gilded. Originally,
a separate cap of leather or cloth would have been worn
underneath the metal helmet for padding. The identification
of this as a cavalry helmet is based on the numeral ‘XII’ scratched
on the neck-guard, which must refer to the section, or turma,
of cavalry to which the wearer once belonged. Mounted infantrymen,
by contrast belonged to units called cohorts that
did not have as many as twelve such units.
The helmet is decorated with an eagle’s head,
the beak forming the crest, while on either side there
are sea-dragons with wings, fins, curling bodies and
three-pronged tails. Such a design suggests that the
helmet may have been made about 250-300AD in a workshop
possibly in the Rhineland or Danube region.
H: 250mm; W: 202mm; D: 225mm
Donated to Norwich Castle
by Mrs Rosa Rivett |
