Holland (?), late 16th-early 17th Century / c.1590–1625
Close Helmet (from a funerary achievement?)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Close Helmet (from a funerary achievement?) as arms and armor (Holland (?), late 16th-early 17th Century · c.1590–1625).
This helmet was decorated with a technique known as fire-gilding, an incredibly toxic process involving mercury that produced a gold finish, now worn away.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this arms and armor as gilded steel (invaded with rust); red velvet lining, plume holder.
The museum's collection notes: This helmet was originally intended for field use. Later, it seems to have served a funerary purpose, probably as an ornament (known as a funerary achievement) suspended over the church tomb of an unidentified knight. As such, it would have been a rich and imposing symbol of the dead knight's social rank and personal authority.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtClose Helmet (from a funerary achievement?)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.