03-26-2015, 04:00 AM
Hello All,
I am giving a brief Roman seminar on helmets and would like to speak a little about cavalry helmets. I would like to know if the helmet mentioned as the subject of the thread is actually partially tinned leaving the brass to show through.........OR...........the helmet is tinned and then gilt. I think the gilding would have to be done before the tinning since it requires higher temperature. This would make tinning in between parts rather difficult. Also, the caption I read on google somewhere mentions it was silver with gilding. However, when I look at photos of it, I just see a face mask and visor very worn and spotty. I do not think that applied silver sheet would be spotty nor do I think silver was applied like gold or tinning. I think the vast majority of items I know of were covered in silver sheet if silver was used.
With cavalry helmets, would it be fair to say that those made in copper alloy were only partially tinned and relief figures or certain details left in brass while helmets that were made from iron/steel, were covered in decorated silver sheet that could have been partially gilt?
Are most examples of copper alloy helmets partially tinned and the brass left to show through or are they tinned and partially gilt as it appears for the Nijmegen helmet?
Also, I know its a little off topic......but.....is there evidence of any cavalry helmet where the chased hair was left in brass and the wreath going around the heads was tinned? I am only aware of the Xanten helmet showing silver hair and a yellow wreath.
Thanks
I am giving a brief Roman seminar on helmets and would like to speak a little about cavalry helmets. I would like to know if the helmet mentioned as the subject of the thread is actually partially tinned leaving the brass to show through.........OR...........the helmet is tinned and then gilt. I think the gilding would have to be done before the tinning since it requires higher temperature. This would make tinning in between parts rather difficult. Also, the caption I read on google somewhere mentions it was silver with gilding. However, when I look at photos of it, I just see a face mask and visor very worn and spotty. I do not think that applied silver sheet would be spotty nor do I think silver was applied like gold or tinning. I think the vast majority of items I know of were covered in silver sheet if silver was used.
With cavalry helmets, would it be fair to say that those made in copper alloy were only partially tinned and relief figures or certain details left in brass while helmets that were made from iron/steel, were covered in decorated silver sheet that could have been partially gilt?
Are most examples of copper alloy helmets partially tinned and the brass left to show through or are they tinned and partially gilt as it appears for the Nijmegen helmet?
Also, I know its a little off topic......but.....is there evidence of any cavalry helmet where the chased hair was left in brass and the wreath going around the heads was tinned? I am only aware of the Xanten helmet showing silver hair and a yellow wreath.
Thanks
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Paolo
Paolo
