Templar Pot Helmet In Wrought Iron. Sicily XIII C.

Templar Pot Helmet in wrought iron. The structure is composed of five folded and beaten iron plates, reinforced internally in the upper part by two other plates subjected and joined by internal rivets articulated by male and female pins beaten together with great compactness and pressure. The technique has made it possible to obtain a very robust and solid helmet, as if it had been welded. At the front, to facilitate breathing, we have longitudinal slits at the ends of which there are spherical holes. An additional iron reinforcement, in the shape of a compact "Cross of Flowers", reinforces the front structure. This helmet is among the most elegant and best preserved of the few known. The "angular" shape seems aerodynamic, not reflecting the classic cylindrical and rigid structure of the "pot", but it seems to have an almost futuristic modernity. It recalls the shape of some motorcycle racing helmets, anticipating it by 8 centuries. The natural flaking of the wrought iron does not affect the state of preservation, which can be considered superb. The object, originating from an ancient Sicilian collection and held for years in the collection of the private Frederick II Medieval Museum in Palermo, is being offered for sale for the first time.