08-27-2013, 09:27 PM
Thank you and laudes to Alexandr.
This is certainly the helmet from the Gimbel private collection (Baden-Baden, Germany) sold at an auction by Lepke in Berlin in 1904 (Rudolph Lepke's Kunst-Auctions-Haus, Waffen- und Kunstsammlung Karl Gimbel: Baden-Baden/Ausst. 27. Mai bis 29. Mai 1904; Versteigerung: 30.Mai bis 3.Juni 1904, Lepke, Berlin 1904, Los Nr. 35, Tafel 7). I have a photo from the auction catalogue and the raised lines on the cheekpieces are quite characteristic. It is great to see color photos of this interesting helmet!
Waurick believed that the reconstruction of this helmet was incorrect (Waurick, G., 1976: Die roemischen Militaerhelme von der Zeit der Republik bis ins 3. Jh. n. Chr. 237 S., Mainz, Univ., Diss., 1970). But given the fact that we today know almost a dozen similar helmets of the Weisenau-Guttmann type, I do not see any necessity to doubt its authenticity.
In terms of dating, none of the Weisenau-Guttmann helmets come from a dateable context but their similarity to earlier helmets akin to the Port type and dating to the decades before and after Christ (e.g. from Kessel/Lith, Thür or from Reka) as well as other early features (such as the shallow ear-cut-outs with limited or no additional protection) are generally taken to imply an early 1st century AD date.
This is certainly the helmet from the Gimbel private collection (Baden-Baden, Germany) sold at an auction by Lepke in Berlin in 1904 (Rudolph Lepke's Kunst-Auctions-Haus, Waffen- und Kunstsammlung Karl Gimbel: Baden-Baden/Ausst. 27. Mai bis 29. Mai 1904; Versteigerung: 30.Mai bis 3.Juni 1904, Lepke, Berlin 1904, Los Nr. 35, Tafel 7). I have a photo from the auction catalogue and the raised lines on the cheekpieces are quite characteristic. It is great to see color photos of this interesting helmet!
Waurick believed that the reconstruction of this helmet was incorrect (Waurick, G., 1976: Die roemischen Militaerhelme von der Zeit der Republik bis ins 3. Jh. n. Chr. 237 S., Mainz, Univ., Diss., 1970). But given the fact that we today know almost a dozen similar helmets of the Weisenau-Guttmann type, I do not see any necessity to doubt its authenticity.
In terms of dating, none of the Weisenau-Guttmann helmets come from a dateable context but their similarity to earlier helmets akin to the Port type and dating to the decades before and after Christ (e.g. from Kessel/Lith, Thür or from Reka) as well as other early features (such as the shallow ear-cut-outs with limited or no additional protection) are generally taken to imply an early 1st century AD date.
Regards,
Jens Horstkotte
Munich, Germany
Jens Horstkotte
Munich, Germany
