1884-1885.] 3^5 



both of some beauty. The second point is that a very pro- 

 nounced ridge or crest commences at the nose piece, and, if I 

 remember rightly, only terminates at the back base of the 

 helmet. We have next to note the shage of the eyelets, which 

 are large, rounded at the side furthest from the nose, and 

 curved upwards very slightly. The nose piece projects at a 

 slight angle, is shaped a little round the eyelet, is again shaped 

 lower down, and terminates in a point with something of the 

 profile of a blunt lance head. The basal margin is strengthened 

 with rivets. So far the groundwork is of iron ; but it is em- 

 bellished with another metal. Two delicate ridge-shaped fillets 

 of bronze follow the contour of the eyelets, swelled in three 

 places to permit a rivet to pass through and fasten them, and 

 there is also a very curious bronze ornament fastened to the 

 front between and a little below the eyelets. This piece is 

 broad at the base where it is attached, but thins down to a 

 blunt point, which is recurved, and slants well away from the 

 nose piece, the whole appearance being roughly describable as 

 something like an elephant's head and trunk. It is obviously 

 there to strengthen the weakest and most vulnerable spot. 

 This is a rough, but I think tolerably complete, description of 

 the helmet as it stands. None of the characteristics I have men- 

 tioned, so far as I know, are to be met with in any mediaeval 

 bascinets, and they have nothing in common with it except the 

 conical form, which gives them a superficial resemblance. In 

 this case I think ' like is an ill mark.' The setting back of the 

 apex, the continuous ridge, and the shape of the eye holes are 

 essentially classic, and though I have not seen any classic 

 helmet in which all these characters are combined in a pre- 

 cisely general form, yet there are many of less conical shape in 

 which they are all present. The way the sides fold round, 

 lapping over and protecting the cheek, is a very classic feature, 

 and the front view is almost identical, even in the height of 

 the cone-shaped top, with the helmet on a bronze statuette of 

 Mars in the British Museum. In this case, however, the sides 

 are slit and cut round the ears, while ours is bulged to enclose 

 them. On another helmet there is a projecting stud, a rude 



