Sallet of Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519)
ca. 1490–95
Medium
Steel, copper alloy, gold
Dimensions
H. 12 in. (30.5 cm); W. 9 in. (22.9 cm); D. 12 3/8 in. (31.4 cm); Wt. 4 lb. 15.7 oz. (2261 g)
Classification
Helmets
Culture
German, Augsburg
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1929
Accession Number
29.156.45
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of late medieval chivalry with the *Sallet of Emperor Maximilian I*, around 1490–95 by the Augsburg armorer Lorenz Helchmid. This steel helmet, enriched with copper alloy and gold exemplifies the pinnacle of German armor-making during the transition from Gothic to Renaissance styles. Measuring just 12 inches high and weighing nearly 5 pounds, the sallet was designed for both battlefield protection and ceremonial display, its close-fitting shape offering excellent visibility and mobility for a mounted knight. Helmschmid, a master of the Helmschmid family workshop—one of Eur...