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An ancient Greek Type IIIA Illyrian helmet, dating to approximately 550-450 B.C.
The helmet is of very well formed, heavy Illyrian type, with open face, pronounced cheek-flaps, high-dome and neck-flap. Two double ridges run along the sagittal plane of the helmet, whilst a ridge lies just above the orbital area. The entire perimeter of the helmet is adorned with approximately 150 bronze rivets, which would have secured an inner lining now perished.
Illyrian type helmets are so named owing to their believed original place of manufacture in and around the region of ancient Illyria, located in the western Balkan peninsula. They were adopted by the Greeks and became the primary helmet type used throughout the 5th Century B.C.
The recognized typology of these helmets attempts to follow their evolution from the 7th-6th Century B.C. This example is a type IIIA helmet, which improved on the type II helmet by adding a neck guard at the back and allowing better hearing.
Height: 10 inches.
Condition: Extremely good preservation, no more than 5% of the helmet is restored, in contrast to the vast majority of helmets that appear on the market with heavy restorations. Particular areas of restoration include the rear, the lower-rear cheek-piece perimeter, the ridges on the dome.
Provenance: Ex. British Private Collection. Previously in a German private collection and acquired Munich art market, 1980's.
References: For the type see Pflug, Illyrische Helme, in Antike Helme, Verlag des Romisch-Germanischen, Mainz 1988.
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