Roman Face Helmets

[petar]

Roman face-helmets from Syria and Bulgaria:

http://balkancelts.wordpress.com/2014/01...two-masks/

[jvrjenivs]

I always found the first exampler very closely linked with the cavalry facemask helmets from the Kops Plateau helmets, as possibly used by the Batavian cavalryman.

[PhilusEstilius]

The one from Syria I find very interesting with the tear drops on the eyelids this was the first of this type that I made some years ago.
With this particular one there was no need to bend the neck to look down for all one needed to do was make a down wards glance and these teardrops allow very good vision, and I have not come across another sports type with the same kind of eyelids.

[Urselius]

To what extent is the iron of the facemask reflected in the final appearance? In other words, is the iron made roughly to the desired shape with the detailed modelling done in silver, or does the silver merely coat a fully sculpted mask in iron?

[PhilusEstilius]

These type of masks were indeed an artwork in detail with the silver sheet often applied to them, however with one of my many copies of the Kalkriese mask I simply had it silvered.

I do have a theory of how the silver sheet could have been applied but never did get around to doing that.
[attachment=8683]6Medium.jpg[/attachment]

[jvrjenivs]

To what extent is the iron of the facemask reflected in the final appearance? In other words, is the iron made roughly to the desired shape with the detailed modelling done in silver, or does the silver merely coat a fully sculpted mask in iron?

As for the kops plateau masks these were made in both (damast) steel and silver foil seperatelly, both showing lots of details. These two masks were then glued together using organic glue. See 'Achter het zilveren masker/Hinter der Silbere Maske'.

[PhilusEstilius]

The theory or idea I have of how silver sheet was applied to face masks is that a pitch mould would be made from the mask, then such very fine foil could then be worked down into this pitch mould to give the exact copy of our face mask.
Then as pointed out by Jvrjenivs this fine foil could then be glued to the mask however having said that, the original Kalkriese face mask appears to have had the silver sheet held in place by an edging all around the mask.
Then judging by the fragments of silver sheet still there under this edging on the mask does show that this silver sheet may have been much thicker than a foil.
[attachment=8697]Kalk.jpg[/attachment]