1600-1650 AD. A steel siege helmet, made of two halves and shaped like a sallet; the edge and the neck guard reinforced with rivets, the two halves fastened together by rivets and by a central raised crest, hammered on both sides. See for the typology of siege helmets Pyhrr, S.W., European Helmets, 1450-1650, Treasures from the Reserve Collection, New York, 2000, figs.71-72. 5.4 kg, 26cm (10 1/4"). T.S. collection, Atria, 1990s. UK collection. Property of a Ssex, UK, teacher. Apanied by a positive metal test number HM1468 from an Oxford specialist. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is apanied by AIAD certificate number no.11091-184013. ed during 17th century wars, these heavy helmets were intended for siege-engineers, sappers and bombardiers who regularly came under fire at close range, receiving stones, arqueb and colubrine shots, as well as vario missiles. The bowl and the lower part of the helmet (cheek pieces) were protected by a double thickness of plates, giving the finished helmet a substantial weight of 10 kilos. Interestingly, the shape of our helmet here follows the model of an old Italian sallet, reinforced with a thick crest.[A video of this lot is available to view on Timeline Auctions .]