Bidspirit auction | Scarce Original 14TH/16TH Century German

Scarce Original 14TH/16TH Century German Great Helm, Topfhelm Funeral Helmet - Amazing and beautiful mid 14th to late 16th Century German ”Great Helm” Topfhelm Helmet which we have been told by several leading experts that this helmet most likely was used into the 17th century as a funeral Helmet. Somewhere around 16th century Great helms became a popular part of Funeral Achievements. Funerary helmets, also known as mortuary helms, were a significant part of the armor placed above or near the carved memorial effigies of knights and nobility from the 14th to the 17th centuries. These helmets were often painted to reduce corrosion. In the 16th century, the tradition of using funerary helmets became more widespread, with even some merchants being granted the right to this honor. The helmets used could be actual pieces of armor worn by the deceased in life, either in battle or at jousts. We believe that this Great Helm is defiantly late medieval period and later used in a burial probably around the time of Elizabeth I of England. It still retains remittance of it's original tarred black paint . provenance: Collection from Edinburgh, Scotland. Dimensions” 13”H x 10” L x 8” W, 10.9 lbs.