Historical grilles in helmets?
I have a problem what to think about this picture (helmet with "grill"):
[ Linked Image ]

Is it something real or just a passion scene?
Re: Historical grilles in helmets?
Arek Przybylok wrote:
I have a problem what to think about this picture (helmet with "grill"):
Is it something real or just a passion scene?


I've read a lot of debate on the subject, none of it absolutely convincing. There are other grilled visors, however, such as the ones from Fiore and the ones in the painting I reference in this discussion:
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...highlight=

And I have seen others, too, in at least one more source (although I don't have a copy of that one), so I think there's a good chance it's a legitimate practice, even if that specific example turns out to be something else.
personally i think theres substantial logic, if not neccesarily evidence, thoughthere is at least, one extant example in the styrian armoury, the landeszeughaus.
the piece nmberis listed as part of a group called
" elements of a great garniture for field and tournament of Kaspar Baron vols-schenkenberg" consisting of partsfor the field armour, lighter field armour, armour fo the free tourney, and the tilt.

the light field armourconssts of a burgonet with a barred spiked visor.

as for the efficacy of a grilled visor, i see it as a great compromise between facial protection and the ability to still maintain a good field of view and get good oxygen flow when in more vigorous fighting, especially for footmen.
The logic for me is not at all important. Only the source.
Kapsar lived in the sixteenth century, so it does not add anything.
Looks like someone has been thrown a fishbone to the head. :lol: I don't see any connection of the grill with the helmet. Are you sure it's the artists intention that it's fastened to the helmet and no other item?
Thomas R. wrote:
Looks like someone has been thrown a fishbone to the head. :lol: I don't see any connection of the grill with the helmet. Are you sure it's the artists intention that it's fastened to the helmet and no other item?


Some people have argued it's a feather or some other kind of decoration. To me, the shape indicates otherwise: the curve is precisely what you'd want to go over the face--we see plenty of solid visors with a very similar curve--and I've never seen a feather quite that spread out. That would mean the central rib is hinged at the top, just where it would meet the bascinet, just as plenty of Klappvisiers were. I'm not claiming it's definitive, but given the *clear* proof we have of later grilled visors, it seems likely enough.
I've seen other grilles, too, which were used in tournaments with batons and cudgels, not swords. But they had a closed framework and were not shaped like this one. So this thing remains intriguing.
Thomas R. wrote:
I've seen other grilles, too, which were used in tournaments with batons and cudgels, not swords. But they had a closed framework and were not shaped like this one. So this thing remains intriguing.


The shape doesn't bother me, I've seen *lots* of grills made to almost this exact shape before anyone ever saw this painting because it just makes sense, but you're right about the fact that it's open being confusing. My take on this is that it's a very early form of grill and they didn't have all the bugs worked out yet. After all, this is the Transition, and lots of experimentation was going on. Alternatively, perhaps it wasn't supposed to be open around the edges and the artist simply messed up.
From what I've seen "barred" visors certainly seem to have existed...but I would argue that their rarity in art suggests that they were far from commonplace.

http://www.zum.de/Faecher/G/BW/Landeskunde/rh...errh1e.htm

to the left of the bloke with ladder and straw helmet/hat are two individuals wearing helms with different styles of "barred" visors.

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