Morion, German (1560-1620)

Title	Morion
Nationality	German
Period	1560-1620

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These were originally developed for the musketeers in Spain and northern Italy, where they had a higher comb, to enable them to shoot without interference from their headgear. This was probaly made in Augsburg or Nuremberg, the primary sources of munition armour in Germany at this time.

In the Landzeughaus in Graz records that they went under the name 'marksmen's helmet with Spanish form'. The Landzeughaus bought many of these, along with cabassets, as munition armour in the long struggle against the Turks on Austria's eastern border.

There may have been a brass plume holder at the reverse, evidenced by two small holes one on each side of the comb. There has been extensive patching within the scull of the helmet and a little brazing to the comb, but all this has been very carefully and skilfully done (at the Tower of London in the 1950s).

I have oiled the helmet, hence the shiny finish, in order to clean it of a rather unattractive dried grease finish. There is what appears to be much original blue finish to the surface of the skull. It has its original brass rivets/rosettes and a small strip of the original lining material.

If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.

[Militaria : Armour : German : 16th Century]

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