Cleveland Museum of Art

Kettle Hat (War Hat)

Date: c. 1460
Medium: steel
Culture: Italy, 15th century
Department: Medieval Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art
Object ID: 96204

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

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. 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.

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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 Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
Provenance: ?-1916: Frank Gair Macomber; Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art | 1916-: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

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