An evolution of the sallet and armet helmets, the close helm was in use during the Late Medieval period as well as the Renaissance. Providing full head protection like its predecessors, the close helm used a less mechanically complex arrangement, with both the top visor and the integral bevor moving on a single hinge. Used on the field of battle by men-at-arms and some particularly heavily armed cuirassers, this style of helm was also popular with tournament fighters, since the one piece bevor presented fewer seams and joints to a potential lance hit than earlier designs with individually hinged cheekpieces. Measuring approximately 12 1/4 inches tall, the helmet is constructed from well-aged silver finished brass and shows deeply repoussed and engraved decoration over much of the surface, including very prominent scroll patterns and arrays of arms. Each side of the main body is decorated with a historical scene of a party of armored men on horseback meeting a party of footmen outside a walled city; the pattern is identical on each side, arranged so the party on horseback is at the relative rear of the helmet though not perfectly symmetrical, showing small variances in some details. One of the horsemen has visible fleur-de-lis patterns on his garments, and some of the footmen are armored in a hauberk and plackart combination, suggestive of a French force of about the 1500s. The smoothly curved crest is decorated with an array of medieval and Grecian arms, the top visor has a pair of eye holes and a grotesque face in the center flanked by beast heads integrated into the scrollwork. The lower visor has a set of 7 symmetrical vent holes set into a scroll pattern, and flanked by a pair of dragons. The bevor shows additional grotesque and armament decoration, as well as a mix of functional bolts with square nuts and decorative rivets along the edges. Both the lower visor and the bevor are secured with a single set of hooks and eyes on the right side.

Fine as custom made, showing a mixed artificially aged patina overall, with traces of original silver in the protected areas and some light handling marks. This would be worth a fortune if it were original