The Crosby Garrett helmet

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Excellent idea Caballo!

[jho]

A truly fascinating helmet, if genuine.

I believe the closest provenanced parallel to the rear part of the helmet comes from Vechten, Utrecht, Netherlands (although that specific cap ends in a very slender eagle's head). So this type of helmet would not be totally unexpected in this part of Europe.

I believe what does raise suspicion is the lack of information on the exact find circumstances and the speed with which is was thrown on the market.

What I find most unusual in the helmet is the separate attached (cast?) griffon. If found in isolation, it would probably have been identified as a fixture to furniture or a wagon but not as part of a helmet. Is anybody aware of any other Roman helmet with such an attachment?

[Caratacus]

I believe the closest provenanced parallel to the rear part of the helmet comes from Vechten, Utrecht, Netherlands (although that specific cap ends in a very slender eagle's head). So this type of helmet would not be totally unexpected in this part of Europe.

Which helmet is this one, Jens?

What I find most unusual in the helmet is the separate attached (cast?) griffon. If found in isolation, it would probably have been identified as a fixture to furniture or a wagon but not as part of a helmet. Is anybody aware of any other Roman helmet with such an attachment?

I certainly haven't come across anything like this. I do know of a cavalry helmet (in private hands) that has an eagle's head at the top of the 'cap', but this is not an applied piece, it's integral with the cap itself.

The thing is that here the attachment has (apparently) been found associated with the helmet. There are losts of 'bits' that turn up in excavations that might be doing the same job, but we'll never know because they are not connected with a helmet. I was looking at a little bronze figure this morning (just excavated at Caerleon) that could easily be something like this. It almost certainly isn't from a helmet, but .....

Does the disc work OK, btw?

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

[Caballo]

There is a small picture of the Vechten helmet in Guttman- either in Römische Helme ISBN 3805316704 or Römische Kampf- und Turnierrüstungen, Sammlung Axel Guttmann ISBN 3805316682 (I'm away from my books and have to rely on an increasingly feeble memory...)

I'd always seen it as a swan's neck- but you may be right being an eagle!

Cheers

Paul

[jho]

Mike,

I have sent you an email. Paul is correct, information on the helmet can be found here:

Junkelmann, M. (1996), "Reiter wie Statuen aus Erz" (catalogue no. O 108)

Kalee, C.A.: Roman helmets and other militaria from Vechten, Roman Military Equipment V, 193 et seq.(No.8 )

If you look at the close-up of the bird's head in Kalee, to me it is definitely an eagle and that is what he calls it (interpreting it as a possible reference to the Ganymed mythos).

[mcbishop]

The Portable Antiquities Scheme website has just posted this which has more information together with a link to a PDF of Ralph Jackson's assessment of the object. Looks like many of the questions raised here are answered.

As for using that Sainsbury grant to the BM (do they get Nectar points?), capital and collections budgets never ever ever cross-over so far as I am aware. The helmet may feature a griffin, but what it needs is an angel.

Mike Bishop

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

what it needs is an angel.

Mike Bishop

Someone call???

Interesting details. Hope the museum can obtain funding to secure it.

[Epictetus]

At times organisations have "angels" in waiting who are approached for a specific reason such as this. Who knows, maybe right now museums are calling wealthy benefactors to ask if they would help in the auction.

It certainly is a spectacular object.

[D B Campbell]

The Portable Antiquities Scheme website has just posted this which has more information together with a link to a PDF of Ralph Jackson's assessment of the object. Looks like many of the questions raised here are answered.

Thanks for posting the link to Ralph Jackson's report, Mike. (Funny how, every time a Roman cavalry unit is mentioned nowadays, it's always a "crack cavalry regiment". I'm sure there were rather a lot of moderately efficient ones, whose troopers hid their mediocrity beneath some flashy gear ... like this helmet! :wink: )

[Caratacus]

I have sent you an email. Paul is correct, information on the helmet can be found here:
Junkelmann, M. (1996), "Reiter wie Statuen aus Erz" (catalogue no. O 108)
Kalee, C.A.: Roman helmets and other militaria from Vechten, Roman Military Equipment V, 193 et seq.(No.8 )

If you look at the close-up of the bird's head in Kalee, to me it is definitely an eagle and that is what he calls it (interpreting it as a possible reference to the Ganymed mythos).

Thanks! I've e-mailed you back about the reference. Now sorted out!

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

[mcbishop]

Funny how, every time a Roman cavalry unit is mentioned nowadays, it's always a "crack cavalry regiment". I'm sure there were rather a lot of moderately efficient ones, whose troopers hid their mediocrity beneath some flashy gear ... like this helmet! :wink:

And the balance of probabilities is that there were some that were utterly pants too. Ala Petriana is usually singled out as being the bees' knees on no evidence other than the fact they were milliary. One is reminded of Bader's Big Wing (as in 'where is Bader's Big Wing?') and the curious way in which we judge things to be 'crack' or 'elite' - it's what Coulston and I tend to view as Elite Mobile Syndrome (I'm writing about that unit so they are the best).

The Utterly Elite and Very Mobile Mike Bishop (or TUEVMMB as the military would probably have it ;-) ) )

[Caratacus]

The Utterly Elite and Very Mobile Mike Bishop (or TUEVMMB as the military would probably have it ;-) ) )

Only if they are in the American Military! In that case, they would probably come up with something they could say, e.g. "Tuemub". :lol:

Mike T.

[PhilusEstilius]

Where there is mention of the Ala Petriana it was indeed a Miliary unit, however why does Archaeology always make the mistake of putting it's base as being Corbridge when in fact it's home was Hexham on the 255 frontier line.

[PhilusEstilius]

Where I would return to topic about this helmet I can only say that the Griffin on the top looks about as rediculous as a pea sitting on a drum.

[Caratacus]

Where I would return to topic about this helmet I can only say that the Griffin on the top looks about as rediculous as a pea sitting on a drum.

Maybe so - but this particular 'pea and drum' will set you back the best part of a third of a million spackeroos - and that is a 'conservative' estimate by Christies. I bet it fetches a whole lot more than that at auction.

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)