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STUDIA I MATERIAŁY – STUDIES AND MATERIALS Acta Militaria Mediaevalia XII Kraków – Sanok – Wrocław 2016, s. 121-134 Miroslav Huťka SALLET HELMETS IN SLOVAKIA* Abstract: M. Huťka 2016, Sallet helmets in Slovakia, AMM XII: 121-134 At the end of the 15th c., a specific type of armour was widespread in Europe, that modern science commonly referred to as Gothic. It was characterised by imitating the civil fashion and use of slender, vertical lines and narrow profile. It originated probably in Southern Germany. A commonly associated helmet, was the sallet, the subject of this article. The main aim of this paper is a survey of its spread in Slovakia. There are comparatively few sources for our research, however both quantitatively and qualitatively they are much more numerous than in earlier periods. We will focus on museum collections, iconographic sources, mainly effigies and panel paintings from various places in Slovakia, such as Banská Bystrica or Spišská Kapitula. We will also compare the acquired knowledge to the sallets preserved elsewhere in Europe. Key words: Middle Age, Warfare, Helmet, Sallet, Slovakia, Banská Bystrica The events of Maundy Thursday taking place was characterised by slender lines, a slim waist, in the Gethsemane garden are depicted on a sculpture flutes and tapering plates (Kybalová 2001, of Christ on the Mount of Olives from the facade 124-220).2 of the parish church in Banská Bystrica (Neusohl).1 This very popular type of helmet probably There is a scene where the angel appears to Christ originated in Italy and appeared in Central Europe while Judas with a group of men and soldiers are in the early 15th c. (Oakeshott 1980, 111). The entering the garden. One lone soldier is seen German variant probably developed from the climbing over the wicker fence, one is chasing kettle hat (Müller, Kunter 1984, 31). Most likely Mark the Evangelist and another is leaning on the first reference to the sallet (“celata”) appeared his halberd. The soldiers’s late 15th c. clothes are in the so-called Gonzaga inventory of the year complemented by sallets (Fig. 1). Popularity of this 1407 (Nowakowski 1990, 46). In Central Europe kind of helmet is confirmed by few preserved it is found for the first time in the documents museum objects and iconographic sources from from 1425-1426 from the Innsbruck archive, where Slovakia. The aim of this article is a detailed analysis the helmet of the “tschëleden” (“tschaladen”) type of the spread of the sallet helmets in Slovakia (see is mentioned (Blair 1958, 105).3 also Huťka 2008). There are few differences between German The 2nd half of the 15th c., in terms of and Italian salltes. The German was characterised armament, is referred to as the so-called beautiful by strong horizontal lines. It was often designed armour era (Klučina 2004, 472-480). This kind with an elongated or laminated nape. In contrast, of armour is a specific type of cuirass that the Italian sallet is generally of an onion-shaped reflects contemporary fashion. At that time it skull (Klučina 2004, 377). The smooth lines of * Editoral Board doesn’t agree with some thesis of the Author. 1 Decoration of Banská Bystrica parish church is studied by G. Endrődi (2003, 462-474; 2006, 37-38). The sculpture related issues can be found in the works of P. Kajba (1996, 26-29) and J. Fiľo (1996; see also Homolka 1972, 83-84). 2 For remarks on the civilian’s clothes with military equipment; see G. Embleton (2007). 3 In the Kingdom of Bohemia, the first mention of sallet was discovered in 1441 in the testament of Prokop Paly from Zderaz in Nove Město (Wagner, Drobná, Durdík 1956, 63). 122 Miroslav Huťka Fig. 1. Christ on the Mount of Olives from the parish church in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. Photo by M. Huťka. Ryc. 1. Chrystus na Górze Oliwnej z kościoła parafialnego w Bańskiej Bystrzycy, Słowacja. Fot. M. Huťka. the skull continue towards the nape with a concave or half visors protected only the lower part of bend. The nape itself is less elongated than in the the face and ended around the nose. After the German sallet. The Italian type, especially of the visor was lowered a gap remained between the so-called Venetian style, is also referred to as upper rim and the skull, forming the vision barbute (Zarnóczki 1992, 51-52; Pyhrr 2000, 7-8). slit. There were also helmets with massive, Some other subtypes, especially of the French- strengthened visors, which resembled the kettle Burgundian and the Spanish style, are derived hats (Müller, Kunter 1984, 135; Pyhrr 2000, 11).4 from the Italian type (Dufty 1968, Figs. 77-79; The surface of the helmets was often decorated Pyhrr 2000, 9-10). However, these did not appear with fluting or decorative rivet-heads. A sharp in Central Europe. medial line ran along the skull from front to back Very important part of this kind of helmet (Müller, Kunter 1984, 138).5 Sallet were worn by is visor, which was fixed to the skull by means both infantry and cavalry. of two rivets. It was sometimes large, covering the Only two sallets preserved in Slovakia. They entire face, extending over the forehead to provide are kept in Stredoslovenske museum (Middle additional protection with the upper edge forming Slovakian Museum) in Banská Bystrica. These a point. The vision was limited to a narrow gap in helmets are of a different construction.6 One of the middle of the visor and the lower edge was them (Inv. No. H-1557) has a large movable visor often strengthened with a turned edge. Reduced with a gap in the middle with noticeably strongly 4 A nice example of the sallet with fixed visor is helmet by Jörg Treytzer in Innsbruck from the period of 1470-1480 (Thomas, Gamber 1954, 14; Dufty 1668, Fig. 79:b) that is kept in Bayerisches Armeemuseum. There are other examples, such as the helmet from Rhodes from around 1450 (La Valetta collection). 5 The holes were probably used to attach decorations. 6 For the first time the helmets were published by J. Kalmár (1971, 267-268; see also Sklenka 2006, 131). Sallet helmets in Slovakia 123 a b c Fig. 2. Sallet from Banska Bystrica, Inv. No. H-1557. Photo by M. Huťka. Ryc. 2. Salada z Bańskiej Bystrzycy, nr inw. H-1557. Fot. M. Huťka. turned edge. The visor is connected to the skull elongated nape is made of two movable lames by two rivets with quatrefoil-shaped heads. The connected by decorative large-headed rivets. There visor only protects the lower part of the face and the are six of them along the circumference of the forehead. The skull of the helmet is oval – it is the helmet, three on each side and are of a twisted thickest on the top of the skull and has a noticeable pyramidal shape. Holes on the top of the skull ridge. There are three holes in the ridge that were indicate that some rivets are probably missing probably used for fixing a decorative crest. The (Fig. 2-3). 124 Miroslav Huťka a Fig. 3. Sallet from Banska Bystrica, Inv. No. H-1557: a-b – upper and back parts of helmet; c – the armourer mark (Landshut?). Photo by M. Huťka. b Ryc. 3. Salada z Bańskiej Bystrzycy, nr inw. H-1557: a-b – górna i tylna część hełmu; c – marka płatnerska (Landshut?). Fot. M. Huťka. There is an armour mark on the left side of the visor (Fig. 3:c). It is damaged by corrosion and hardly legible except for the lower part. It is stamped just above the lower edge of the visor and it is possible that is a stylised M-shape, but it is unlikely to be of the Missaglia armourers of Milan.7 The letter mark may also be a plant motive. Furthermore, the mark is placed on a convex hemispherical shield. The only analogy among the published marks is the guild mark of the town of Landshut published by D. Gyngell (1959, 29). c An analogous helmet is kept in the collections of the Royal Castle of Wawel in Cracow (Szabłowski 1975, Fig. X). This helmet similarly has a large visor, elongated neck laminated of made in Innsbruck for Maximilian I, dating around three lames, with four decorative rivet. on each 1495, now in the Waffensammlung Vienna. from side. The helmet is considered erroneously to be the period. It has a three-piece nape and a narrow, of Italian make. Some presumably analogous movable reduced visor, with plain edges. Another features are also to be found on the helmet comparable visor can be seen on the helmet made published by L. Boccia (Boccia, Coelho 1967, by Lorenz Helmschlied, dating to ca. 1480, for the Fig. 92 and description on p. 123). More analogies Maximilian, in the Waffensammlung Vienna. The to the H-1557 helmet from Banská Bystrica can Augsburg helmet also has a three-piece nape, and be found in German circle. For example the helmet the visor is exactly the same. There are however 7 Compare Italian armaments marks published by L. Boccia in the text between chapters (Boccia, Coelho 1967, 551 ff). Sallet helmets in Slovakia 125 Fig. 4. Sallet from Banska Bystrica, Inv. No. H-1558. Photo by M. Huťka. Ryc. 4. Salada z Bańskiej Bystrzycy, nr inw. H-1558. Fot. M. Huťka. no large decorative rivets around its circumference dated to 1450-1460 (Kajzer 1976, 154; Nadolski (Blair 1958, 200-201). Similar sallets are also to 1979, Fig. 4 /colour/) and the sculpted grave effigy be found on the territory of present-day Poland.