Italy / c. 1460
Kettle Hat (War Hat)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Kettle Hat (War Hat) as arms and armor (Italy · c. 1460).
Modern soldiers wear Kevlar combat helmets that weigh four to five pounds. By comparison, this medieval helmet is nearly three times as heavy. Imagine what it would have been like to wear such a heavy piece of equipment on your head during a siege.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this arms and armor as steel.
The museum's collection notes: Open helmets like this one were used by medieval infantries. The helmet weighs 12-1/2 pounds. This unusual weight was required for siege purposes—such helmets were worn by the men who attempted to scale the walls of an armed town. The rivet holes along the ridge were for the attachment of the liner.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtKettle Hat (War Hat)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.