The men in the brass mask

[Praefectusclassis]

Jurjen, Jona, Marco (non RAT) and I went to Bonn yesterday. We saw the Egyptian exhibition on which Jona reported elsewhere on RAT, 'Behind the silver mask' and 'War and Peace. Celts, Romans and Germans' at the Landesmuseum in Bonn (about which a little more in my very new blog). There was also a brass mask for interactivity. Here are the external results with receding hairlines in order of age.
:wink:

[jvrjenivs]

I was impressed with how much you could see from behind that mask. Now I definitivelly want a Kops plateau cavalry helmet. But at least I had a nice day, and visit another beautifull museum.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thought that mop of unruely hair looked familiar Jurjen :wink: :lol:

[Tarbicus]

I was impressed with how much you could see from behind that mast. Now I definitivelly want a Kops plateau cavalry helmet. But at least I had a nice day, and visit another beautifull museum.

Caballo's been saying that for ages, but would anyone listen? :wink:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I was impressed with how much you could see from behind that mast. Now I definitivelly want a Kops plateau cavalry helmet. But at least I had a nice day, and visit another beautifull museum.

Caballo's been saying that for ages, but would anyone listen? :wink:

Whats Caballo been saying? good visibility behind masks...I totally agree!

[Caballo]

Thanks, mate!!

With a facemask flush to the face (and I suspect that many were tailor made- cf the different styles of the Ribchester face mask and skull piece), you only lose peripheral vision, and certainly the loss of vision is no worse (and often a bit better) than a mediaval helm.

That said, I haven't tried it on top of a horse.

However, reports from cavalry actions seem to indicate that you don't see very much apart from your immediate flanking troops and those in front. For example, Robin Lane Fox (an ancient historian and accomplished rider, who gave advice to the Alexander the Great film on condition that he could ride with Alexander's cavalry " But what the footage shows is only the beginning of an orgy of charging which later took me to Thailand and pitted me with bare legs against Stone’s elephants. In a dust cloud, horses are as stressed as men; it is also impossible for men ten paces behind a leader to see him when he signals a turn to left or right. The key people are the men immediately in front and on either side. Just like the little band of soldiers in Stone’s own masterpiece, Platoon, set in Vietnam. "

Most cavalry reenactors are individual horsemen, rather than riding in a body- which could make a big difference?

Cheers

Caballo

[jvrjenivs]

If I finally get me a face masket helmet I gonna try it on horseback for sure. (that reminds me I've to finish my lessons on riding horses)

[Caballo]

PS We are perilously close to being on topic :wink: - should this be moved to re-enactment?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Quick, make some OT comment before the moderators move us.... :lol: