Envy our climate?! Not with a corinthian helmet on! Today i got badly sunburnt in the farm and i really don't feel very fond of our climate!
But i like your impression. Somehow i feel that "Thessalian lord" was the right description. This marvelous cup wouldn't have been in the hands of everybody,and Thessalians always and today are the most prestigious farmers in Greece.Vast lands and impressive lifestyle,with few lords(no doubt the famous hippeis) rulling big farms of unthinkable size for the rest of Greece.
Khaire
Giannis
Giannis K. Hoplite
a.k.a.:Giannis Kadoglou
a.k.a.:Thorax
What I would like to see is one reproduced with elongated scales that overlap upwards, and that can still blend into the lower part of the helmet, in a way seen in some artwork. (Like the seven heroes kylix, Kunsthistoriches Museum, 3694; Ajax carrying Achilles, Cabinet des Médailles, frg. 537 and 598; both available in Osprey's Greek Hoplite 480-323)
I wouldn't mind trying it out since it would be less demanding than raising a helmet in one piece. But since I have seen pictures of at least one sculpture where the scales were obviously painted on it feels like a bit of a long shot to assume that they were actually made from separate scales. Embossing scales into a solid bowl would look awesome but would be incredibly difficult.
I'm finally over the jet lag, and here are a couple of photos of my hoplite impression from Marathon, including a couple of nice family shots with the littlest hoplites there