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Sallet
  • Sallet
  • Unknown Artist / Maker
  • Milan, Italy
  • Date: 1470
  • Medium: Skull- medium-carbon steel, hardened; cheek-piece- iron
  • Height: 26.7 cm
  • Weight: 2.06 kg
  • Circumference: 64.1 cm, at the lining rivets
  • Inv: A77
  • Location: Arms and Armour II
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Description
Provenance
Marks/Inscriptions
Further Reading
  • In 1471, the famous Burgundian knight Olivier de la Marche sent a shipment of Italian armour to England for private sale which included a thousand sallets described specifically as being ‘for archers’. While it is difficult to be certain of the precise form of these helmets, it is possible that they were something like this example. He the right cheek extension, instead of being an integral part of the otherwise one-piece construction, is formed of a separate plate set on a hinge so that it can be raised out of the way. This would have been a useful feature on the helmet of an archer, who needed to be able to draw his bow back to his right cheek before loosing. While this helmet might be one of a special type made for archers, it is also possible that it would also have suited the needs of crossbowmen and handgunners, soldiers who needed to be able to raise the stocks of their respective ranged weapons to their right cheeks for sighting before a shot.