Close Helmet of the "Maximilian" Style

Description A close helmet encloses the head (as opposed to a sallet). This type combines the rounded Italian shape with the crisp, vertical fluting, crest, and corded borders that evolved from German late-medieval armor. The fluting deflected projectiles and made the plate stronger without adding weight. At 5 lb. 11.7 oz., this piece is not heavy for a close helmet. The style is associated with Emperor Maximilian I (reigned 1493-1519), Archduke Albert's famous ancestor, who was keenly interested in improving armor technology.

Provenance Sale, American Art Association, New York, November 19, 1921, no. 307; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1921 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1921