1st century BC. A helmet of Pseudo-Illyrian form, the bowl made of two pieces of bronze, decorated from front to back by two hemispherical ribs, forming a double edge which runs from back to the front of the helmet, the two halves of the crown overlapping along the dividing seam, with three bronze rivets still visible; cheek-pieces either side. Cf. Chernenko, E. V. Skifskii dospekh (Scythian armour), Kiev, Naukova dumka (in Russian), 1968; Dedjulkin, A. V. 'Locally Made Protective Equipment of the Population of North-Western Caucasus in the Hellenistic Period', in Stratum Plus, n.3, 2014, pp.169-184; ????????? ?. ?., '????? ??????????? ??????? ?? ????????? ??????' (Sarmatian Age Helmets from Eastern Europe), in Stratum Plus, n.4, 2014, pp.249-284; ????????? ?. ?., '????? «????????» ????', (Novichikhin, A.M., 'A new Meotian helmet) in Parabellum Novum, Military History Journal, n.3 (36), ?????-?????????, 2015. This helmet is very similar to various samples found in the Scythian graves, although his origin is Mediterranean. Symonenko in 2014 individuated at least nine specimens of such category, partially fragmented or half broken, which he categorised variant I of the Illyrian helmet. He mentioned also the presence of three further helmets of this category in private collections, and one more in USA, plus a specimen in the Safari Park of Gelendzhik. All helmets of this type were found in the North-Western Caucasus (in Adygea"). The name of the typology came from the constant presence, on helmets of such category (especially characteristic of the so-called insular Illyrian helmets), of the double edge decorating the crown front to back. The chronological gap in the production of the original prototypes (from VII century BC on) and of these other specimens makes difficult to see the influence of the Illyrian helmets on the genesis of the pseudo-Illyrians (III-I century BC"). However one find in the necropolis of Nymphae (Chernenko, 1968, 92-93, fig.51) dated at the V-IV century BC seems to give the possibility that since this age the Illyrian helmets - always through the mediation of the Greeks - could have been diffused among the population of the North-Western Caucasus. 667 grams, 23.5cm (9 1/4"). From a London W1, UK, collection; acquired on the German art market before 2000; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato. The common feature of this helmet category is, besides the form and manufacturing technique, the circumstance that the two halves of the bowl are riveted with an overlap along the 'sagittal seam'. The bowl is usually hemispherical, compressed on the sides. The bottom edge is wrapped out and embossed, forming a low roller. Somewhat higher, the roller is raised higher over the rim of the bowl, turning up on the front and forming the quoted double edge, along the 'sagittal seam'. Constructive details and ornamentation of the crown are however different and allow us to individuate several variants of such helmets. This helmet belongs to the variant I, whose specimens have been found in Kurganinsk, in the necropolis of Sereginskii (grave 138) and Chetuk, in the Sanctuary near Psenaf (Symonenko, 2014, fig.14, nn.1-4"). Other helmets of this variant are visible in the Karakovsky collection, while, according to V.R. Ehrlich, another specimen from Mesmay is stored in the depots of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. The specimens of Chetuk and Sereginskii are decorated with stylised diadems, with volutes at the ends, like those of the Chalcidian-attic helmets; one of the Chetuk helmets shows also several vertical ribs, on the frontal and parietal parts of the crown. These motifs, typical of the contemporary pseudo-attic helmets are clearly perceived in this decoration, probably because they were familiar to the craftsmen who made the pseudo-Ilyrian ones. The cheek-guards of this specimen, which according to the author of the present report, are not pertinent and are from a different model. Fair condition, restored.
