Info Favorites Register Log in
myArmoury.com Discussion Forums

Forum index Memberlist Usergroups Spotlight Topics Search
Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > Foot Combat Helmet of Maximilian I Reply to topic
This is a Spotlight Topic  
Author Message
Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin


myArmoury Admin

PostPosted: Thu 25 Nov, 2004 1:27 pm    Post subject: Foot Combat Helmet of Maximilian I         Reply with quote

Foot-combat helmet of Maximilian I (1459-1519; King, 1486; Emperor, 1508)
Lorenz Helmschmin, Augsburg, Circa 1485



Click for detailed version

Particularly in Western Europe, the knights' duel on foot was regarded as a sport. As the husband of Maria (heiress of Burgundy 1457-82; married, 1477), Maximilian presumably first developed his marked preference for foot-combat at her pleasure-loving court. Two types of equipment were suitable: either the Kempfküriss with a flared skirt of iron, or the one which enveloped the body like close-fitting tights.

Lorenz Helmschmid, the outstanding royal armourer of Maximilian's father, Frederick III, created foot-combat equipment for Maximilian around 1485--possibly for the festivities on the coronation of the young prince as Roman King in 1486. We can see what it looked like in a book left to us by the Helmschmid workshop, which contains sketches and illustrations recording the armour produced there. It came into imperial possession and from there, through a chief equerry to the Imperial Household named Thun, into the library of the Princes Thun at Tetschen in northern Bohemia.

Only the original helmet has been preserved, a masterpiece of forging. For a long time it was the prize possession in the armoury of Count Breuner, later Prince Ratibor, at his neo-gothic castle of Grafenegg near Krems in Lower Austria. Its bright rounded surface must once have given the impression of a polished steel ball, the firm smooth shape thus displaying its full charm. A comparison of the accurate sketch with the original is sufficient proof that this was the personal property of the sporting monarch.

Collection: Carl Otto van Kienbusch, New York, 56

.:. Visit my Collection Gallery :: View my Reading List :: View my Wish List :: See Pages I Like :: Find me on Facebook .:.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Gordon Frye




Location: Kingston, Washington
Joined: 20 Apr 2004
Reading list: 15 books

Spotlight topics: 2
Posts: 1,191

PostPosted: Fri 26 Nov, 2004 4:40 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Interesting in that it has the attributes of both the Salade (viz. the visor) and the Great Biscenet. Very strange, but also very nifty.

Thanks yet again, Nathan, for posting a cool picture of a cool helmet!

Gordon

"After God, we owe our victory to our Horses"
Gonsalo Jimenez de Quesada
http://www.renaissancesoldier.com/
http://historypundit.blogspot.com/
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin


myArmoury Admin

PostPosted: Fri 26 Nov, 2004 4:46 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Gordon, once again you're noticing the same things I'm seeing and also finding them interesting! This stuff fascinates me and shows, yet again, that it's often not possible to categorize things in neat and tidy compartments. In fact, you can see by my sword collecting interests that I tend to like the off-shots of innovative designs that often combine multiple influences into an experimental form. Experimental innovation, perhaps as much as necessity, is just as influential on the developmental paths these things took.

This stuff baffles me the more I track the paths they've taken. Amazing stuff.

.:. Visit my Collection Gallery :: View my Reading List :: View my Wish List :: See Pages I Like :: Find me on Facebook .:.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Gordon Frye




Location: Kingston, Washington
Joined: 20 Apr 2004
Reading list: 15 books

Spotlight topics: 2
Posts: 1,191

PostPosted: Fri 26 Nov, 2004 4:57 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Nathan, I have to fully agree with you on a love of experimental, innovative, transitional things. I put together a pretty cool collection a few years ago of US Bolt Action .45-70 rifles from the 1870's and '80's- stuff no one really knows about, but enormously cool to me. I love Paterson and Walker Colts for the same reasons (but needless to say I have to satisfy myself with reproductions!), Wheellocks and Snaphaunces too. And in armour or swords, it's the same thing. Transition between Salade and Close Helm, and the evolution of the Armet, the development of the Basket Hilt, all remarkably nifty stuff.

My chief amusement these days is tracking the victory of the Pistol over the Lance during the course of the later 16th Century. It too was a time of experimentation, innovation and transition. Fascinating stuff! I just need more time to track it all down. A few more languages at my disposal would help a lot too, LOL!

Cheers, and glad to know we have similar tastes! No wonder I like this site...

Gordon

"After God, we owe our victory to our Horses"
Gonsalo Jimenez de Quesada
http://www.renaissancesoldier.com/
http://historypundit.blogspot.com/
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Jean Thibodeau




Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Joined: 15 Mar 2004
Likes: 50 pages
Reading list: 1 book

Spotlight topics: 5
Posts: 8,310

PostPosted: Fri 26 Nov, 2004 8:05 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Nathan;

At the risk of being accused of being a "Copycat" that visor also reminded me of a Salade type visor: But Gordon got his reply in first.

(Just joked about it with him in a private E-Mail, he said I shouldn't be shy to try getting some credit for having the same instant impression...........LOL.)

You are showing us some very interesting things: Thanks again for all the work and time it must take.

You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
View user's profile Send private message
Jeff Gentry




Location: Columbus ohio
Joined: 05 Sep 2004

Posts: 29

PostPosted: Sat 27 Nov, 2004 8:10 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Yea know when i see thing's of this nature i often wonder is realy that unusual or was it just something of a fasion statement by the owner who may have liked the look of a sallet(don't know how to spell the german version) and wanted to keep with the new trend of the close helm, and had this made to his own liking sallet with a built in bevor , like having a custom made shirt, it is a unique design and very attractive to me, i have often wondered with the aristocracy of the time how many custom sword's and piece's of armor were actualy made that we will never see, and have unique design.

These are just my musing's.

Jeff

“Princes and Lords learn to survive with this art, in earnest and in play. But if you are fearful, then you should not learn to fence. Because a despondent heart will always be defeated, regardless of all skill.”
- Fechtmeister Sigmund Ringeck, 1440
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
David R. Glier





Joined: 01 Mar 2004

Posts: 146

PostPosted: Mon 29 Nov, 2004 6:13 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Schlade(?) is the german term, I believe...

Incidenatly, this helmet is very well known in the armouring community, as it and one other are the basis for virtualy ALL sallets in the SCA and similar fighting orgs. It seems the rule-makers frown on two-piece, dismountable head defenses. So, we make our sallets into close helms. Wink
View user's profile Send private message


Display posts from previous:   
Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > Foot Combat Helmet of Maximilian I
Page 1 of 1 Reply to topic
All times are GMT - 8 Hours

View previous topic :: View next topic
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum






All contents © Copyright 2003-2024 myArmoury.com — All rights reserved
Discussion forums powered by phpBB © The phpBB Group
Switch to the Basic Low-bandwidth Version of the forum