Cleveland Museum of Art

Corinthian Helmet

Date: 500–475 BCE or modern (before 1926)
Medium: bronze with silver inlay
Culture: Greece
Department: Greek and Roman Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art
Object ID: 108870

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

Probably cast and then hammered into shape, this bronze helmet belongs to a type known as Corinthian, with almond-shaped eye holes, large cheekpieces, and a wide nose guard. Its significant weight raised early suspicions about authenticity, and although a 1928 technical examination found no conclusive evidence of forgery, scholars have continued to doubt its antiquity. Unusual details include the intact rivets, or metal fasteners, meant to secure liners; usually only their holes survive. The dueling warriors and inlaid palmette above the brow also find few parallels, and the silver meander pattern is unique. Most recently, a 2024 analysis found that both the copper and silver alloys of the helmet differ significantly from those expected in an ancient Greek helmet. This helmet is very heavy—2.56 kilograms (5 lbs., 10 oz.), compared to average ancient helmets of 1.2–1.6 kilograms (about 3 lbs.).

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Provenance & credit

As published by the source institution. Coverage varies — not every institution's open-data feed includes ownership history.

Credit line: Gift of J. H. Wade
Provenance: (Bruno Tartaglia through Howard W. Parsons)

Part of a LinkedCulture topic

European Renaissance Armor Components
These objects are all pieces of defensive armor and military equipment from 15th-17th century Europe, primarily from major armoring centers like Italy, Germany, and France.
500 objects from 4 institutions