Close Helmet of Claude Gouffier (1501–1570)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1555–60
Medium
Steel, gold, brass
Dimensions
H. 15 3/4 in. (40 cm); W. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); D. 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm); Wt. 6 lb. 5 oz. (2863 g)
Classification
Helmets
Culture
French
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
Accession Number
14.25.596
Art Historical Context
This exquisite close helmet, crafted around 1555–60 for the French nobleman Claude Gouff (1501–1570), exemplifies the pinnacle of Renaissance armor in France. During the mid-16th century, wars and tournaments raged across Europe, helmets like this provided full facial protection with a pivoting visor and cheek plates, allowing knights to charge into battle or joust with confidence. Gouffier, a prominent in the French court, would have worn this as a symbol of status and martial prowess amid the ornate chivalric culture of the Valois monarchy. Forged from robust steel, the helmet is enriched w...