Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/137

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decorated with fine etching disposed in the following manner. On the skull are two slightly recessed scrolls, inclosing five circular medallions with emperors' heads; while down either side of the comb runs a frieze representing hunting scenes with scrolls bordered by a dentated ornament. Round the border of the visor and mezeil is a scroll design, and round the base of the skull can be seen a narrow band etched in representation of the spiked collars used for the German boar and wolf hounds. To date this head-piece it must be borne in mind that Desiderius Kolman worked, after the death of his father in 1532, continuously until about 1553; the shape of the helmet shows quite clearly that if it be the work of Desiderius, as we suspect it is, it must be quite one of his latest productions, dating from the opening years of the second half of the XVIth century.

Fig. 1193. Helmet

German, probably the work of a Kolman of Augsburg, about 1550. Wallace Collection (Laking Catalogue, No. 278)

Fig. 1194. Helmet

German, Saxon work, with enrichments in the style of Peter Speier of Annaberg, 1550-60. From the suit G 52, Musée d'Artillerie, Paris

A helmet on a suit in the Musée d'Artillerie of Paris, G 52 (Fig. 1194), shows us yet another variation of the German close helmet, an example fine in outline and enriched with etching in the manner of Peter Von Speier of Annaberg. As Peter Speier died in 1562, this helmet must be considered as dating from about 1550-60. The decoration, however, may be work pro-