Mounting a bear pelt on a helmet

[Marcus Mummius]

Thanks for that David. I was told to soak the head in a salt water solution for an hour or so and then mold it to the wanted shape.

What exactly are 'paper wads'? Is this just a piece of bunched up paper?

Vale,
Jef

[M. Demetrius]

Yes, any kind of scrap paper that won't transfer color to the insides of the ears. Typing/printer paper would work just fine. Just shape it to the shape you want, stick it in there, and if you like, wrap it in some cloth strips to hold it where you want it. By the next morning, it should be dry enough to take the paper off. You could probably get some arch to the top of the head the same way, if you want to.

[Marcus Mummius]

Yes, any kind of scrap paper that won't transfer color to the insides of the ears. Typing/printer paper would work just fine. Just shape it to the shape you want, stick it in there, and if you like, wrap it in some cloth strips to hold it where you want it. By the next morning, it should be dry enough to take the paper off. You could probably get some arch to the top of the head the same way, if you want to.

Thanks! I'll try it like that when the hide arrives.

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Also the tombstone of a signifer from Coh V Astvrvm..
http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/component/ ... Itemid,94/

All of these auxiliary soldiers are wearing skins with intact faces.

... all known Auxiliary signifers have the face cut away....as is clearly shown on the tombstone you refer to.

My eyes may be fooling me, but on the above tombstone the bear face seems to be intact - shown in red below.

What other images show the faces cut away?

[Paullus Scipio]

Alexander wrote:-

but on the above tombstone the bear face seems to be intact - shown in red below.

What other images show the faces cut away?

If you look at other images of Pintaius' tombstone, it is clear that the mask is cut away, just in front of the ears - your red lines are not apparent.

I can't recall off-hand seeing a tombstone/carving of an auxiliary standard bearer from the 1st-2nd century with face-mask intact.
A tombstone from late second/early third century wearing scale armour, at Carrowburgh in England is crude but seems to have an animal skin draped, but no trace of face mask.

Whilst it is difficult to generalise from one or two or a few examples, the scheme I have suggested is plausible and consistent with the little evidence we have.

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

If you look at other images of Pintaius' tombstone, it is clear that the mask is cut away, just in front of the ears - your red lines are not apparent.

The image I posted above is the largest in the RA database showing the pelt on the helmet. There is definitely an elevation above the front lobe of the bear pelt - shown with the red arrow below. The elevation, it seems to me, continues with the lines going further down to form a sort of a triangle, as I shown with the red lines in my previous post; the left part of can be discerned better than the right. Whether you see the triangle or not, the elevation above the front lobe is there. I believe that may be a depiction of the protruding nose of the bear, which here is portrayed tilted up.

If you happen to have any other images of the signifer that clarify the issue, I would appreciate you posting them.

Thank you,

[Marcus Iulius Chattus]

I`ve got a new book about the Trajans-Column: "Das römische Heer auf der Trajansäule" (The Roman Army on the Trajancolumn) von Danae Richter.
On nearly 5oo sides there is everything from the Legionnaires, Auxillarys, Cavalrymen an Standartbearers (and all there different equipment) that are depicted on the Column. In the chapter about the Standartbearers is described after Vegetius, that Legion Standartbearers wear Bearskins, and these are good visible on the column. And Webster in "Roman Imperial Army" on p. 139, describes that Praetorians wear Lionskins.

[Peroni]

There is definitely an elevation above the front lobe of the bear pelt - shown with the red arrow below.

There is a similar depiction of this feature on the tombstone of Caius Valerius Secundus..
http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/component/ ... Itemid,94/

And on the auxiliary imagnifer Genialis..
http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/component/ ... Itemid,94/

This *could* also be seen as the triangular browguard of a helmet such as the type seen on the Newstead helmets.

There is yet another tombstone which has a similar feature (Quintus Luccius Faustus) and there is also a face which can be seen resting on the soldier's shoulder. This could either be the face of the pelt OR the face of the helmet's mask....
http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/component/ ... Itemid,94/

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Seems like my eyes weren't fooling me after all - I just came across this drawing of the tombstone from Alfred von Domaszewski, Aufsätze zur römischen Heeresgeschichte, p. 72, which depicts the triangular elevation.