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Visored Bascinet

A work made of steel and brass.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of steel and brass.

Date:

1390/1400

Artist:

Western European

About this artwork

The quintessential knightly helmet of the late 14th century, the bascinet was used throughout Europe. Its pronounced conical skull and pointed visor were designed to deflect blows side to side and were described in its own time in Germany as a Hundsgugel, or hound’s hood. The pierced steel pins around the base of the skull were used to attach a mail hood, called an aventail, that protected the shoulders.

Complete surviving examples are rare. This helmet is made of two separate period parts, skull and visor, which were repaired and joined in the early 20th century to make a complete example.

Status

On View, Gallery 239

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Title

Visored Bascinet

Place

Italy (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1390–1410

Medium

Steel and brass

Dimensions

H.: 24.1 cm (9 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

George F. Harding Collection

Reference Number

1982.2467

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/112065/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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