[A Casalucci]

Looking at some images of the Maciejowsky bible, I noticed the use of "colours" in decoration of part of the helms. Are those decoration painted? Or maybe some pieces like the cruciform reinforce of some helmets could have been made in other materials like brass or bronze? There are also some "golden" helmet depicted. I doubt it could really gold, but I doubt also it could be simply painted. Are there any chances of helm made in materials differents from iron? Brass, bronze, etc? Not necessarily functionals, but maybe only for ornamental purpose, like those heavily decorated but more recent armors of the nobles?
I know that structurally simple iron is better than those materials, so, I'm not asking this!

Are there any references or evidence of such military or pseudo military objects?
thank you.
A.

[Mart Shearer]

There's gold leaf and "shell gold" paint. There's the 15th century gilt-copper chapel of Charles VI
http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/gilded...charles-vi


And we know the 38 helmets made for the Tournament at Windsor Park in 1278 were made of leather covered with gold or silver leaf depending on the rank of the participant, so there's a 13th century precedent.

So helmets could be made of alternate materials if they weren't intended for war.

Painting over iron is quite likely the explanation for the more exquisite heraldic décor on helms from the 13th century.
http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4180/8287/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4270/15230/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4485/11616/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4235/9448/


The 1344 inventory of the English wardrobe lists
lxij galeas quarum vj pro torniamento, iij cum barberis pro hastiludo, j depicta de veteribus armis Anglie et lij pro guerra
(62 helms of which 6 for the tournament, 3 with "beards" for jousting, 1 painted with the old arms of England, and 52 for war.)

Given those the idea of a red or green painted helm seems pretty mild. We have literary evidence describing colored helms from the 12th century such as Bertran de Born's reference from Be·m platz lo gais temps de pascor:
Massas e brans, elms de color
(Maces and swords, colored helms)
Or mentions in the chanson Aliscans
Puis a lacie' le vert elme geme'
(Then laced the green helm with gems).
Then there's the surviving 14th century Kornburg helm, which was repainted with it's gold cross; however, evidence of earlier paint is still there too.

http://books.google.com/books?id=OD8g4Eb-3EsC...mp;f=false

[Sean Flynt]

some ancient helmets were bronze, of course. but, yes, medieval helmets had fire gilding and applique, fabric and leather coverings, paint and, I would guess, also a gold paint commonly known as shell gold, which is simply gold dust in a suspension (think manuscript illumination). shell gold would not be as durable as fire gilding, but much easier (and safer) to work with in a variety of media (paper, leather, fabric, metal, wood, etc.)