Meyrick helmet- new photo

[Caballo]

The "Celtic" Meyrick helmet in the British Museum. To my mind, a copy of a Roman helmet by a Celtic craftsman?

[Praefectusclassis]

Huh, that's interesting. Why copy, in one piece, the handle?

[Caballo]

My bet was that the Celtic craftsman- unable to read Latin- was given a design to copy?
Strong parallel with today's Indian craftsmen who often are working off a drawing without necessarily understanding the whole thing?

[Praefectusclassis]

Like what? A drawing? It seems awfully precise to do without actually seeing the original.

[madoc]

I have a four page photocopied report on this helmet.

it says there is the roman numeral II "incised in antiquity" on the right hand side (which I can see the pics in the report), which is similar to the XII incised in the roman helmet from the River Wensum.

[Tarbicus]

British auxiliary?

[Urselius]

The Celts were leading the field at this period in helmet design, the Romans were the copyists.

The skull is conical, not a very Roman feature, and the design on the neckpiece looks like typical La Tene 'swirly stuff' to me. If it is a copy of a Roman carrying handle then it has been transformed by the artistic genius of the craftsman.

[john m roberts]

Sort of reminds me of the later ring pommel swords, where the formerly free moving ring has degenerated into an abstraction, a ring shaped bump on the pommel.

[le Cavalier Invisible]

Sort of reminds me of the later ring pommel swords, where the formerly free moving ring has degenerated into an abstraction, a ring shaped bump on the pommel.

So you mean it could be fashion or something like that? They liked the shape, but didn't think the actual helmet handle was of any use for them? Quite possible.. :?

Greetz,

[L C Cinna]

The Celts were leading the field at this period in helmet design, the Romans were the copyists.

The skull is conical, not a very Roman feature, and the design on the neckpiece looks like typical La Tene 'swirly stuff' to me. If it is a copy of a Roman carrying handle then it has been transformed by the artistic genius of the craftsman.

Agree, seems more like the whole thing is rather a "plantlike" decoration than the imitation of a handle.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Personally with the Roman numerals incised on it, and the rivet hole for a browband, i think this might much more likely be an auxiliary Gallic cavalry helmet than a typical Celtic type.

But since i do not know the dating of this find i cannot be certain.

M.VIB.M.

[madoc]

Te rivet hole on the side is not for a brow ridge but probably for the rest of the hinge to hold cheek guards.

Here is an impression of that (you can see the wear lines of the outline):

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Ah ok that makes things more clear!

M.VIB.M.

[Caratacus]

There are almost identical patterns to that seen on the neck guard here on "Celtic" mirrors as well as things like the so-called 'Battersea' shield. Craftsmen would often produce visual puns - turn it upside down and it looks like a cat, turn it the other way up and its more like an owl.

Caratacus
(Mike Thomas)