08-01-2012, 07:48 PM
Olaf,
Yes, the evolution of the helmet designs is quite clear. What has always intrigued me is that the design and construction never changed except to become more exagerrated. It seems that the armorers continued to make the visors as if they were still functioning cheekplates and adding separate eye shields. It's as if they had just "alwasy done it that way," so they continued to. It seems to me that a medieval armorer would have taken a look at one of those helmets, said "I can do better than that," and made one in the same shape but with a far simpler visor. But Classical craftsmen were far more conservative and it shows in many of their arts, not just armoring.
Yes, the evolution of the helmet designs is quite clear. What has always intrigued me is that the design and construction never changed except to become more exagerrated. It seems that the armorers continued to make the visors as if they were still functioning cheekplates and adding separate eye shields. It's as if they had just "alwasy done it that way," so they continued to. It seems to me that a medieval armorer would have taken a look at one of those helmets, said "I can do better than that," and made one in the same shape but with a far simpler visor. But Classical craftsmen were far more conservative and it shows in many of their arts, not just armoring.
Pecunia non olet
