Rare Display Stand For Carved Wooden Helmets - Medieval Art (13th–14th Centuries)
Rare display stand for carved wooden helmets - Medieval art (13th–14th centuries)
Category: Wooden sculpture / Military art objects / Early period (Haute Époque)
Period: 13th – 14th century (Middle Ages)
Material: Carved wood (single-block), antique patina
Dimensions: Height 22 cm
Condition: Good overall condition for its age; shows natural signs of wear from use and traces of wood-boring insect tunnels, dating back to a very remote period and now completely inactive. Beautiful, deep original patina.
Description and Analysis of the Work
1. Stylistic and Iconographic Description
This remarkable mannequin, or wooden display stand, depicts a stylized human face, carved in the round. The facial features are simple yet endowed with great expressive power:
The eyes: Carved in an almond shape, typical of the Romanesque-Gothic stylistic repertoire.
The nose and mouth: The nose has a straight, elongated profile that connects to the eyebrows; the mouth is narrow and horizontal, giving the face a solemn and dignified expression.
Overall shape: The head has a smooth, ovoid shape, devoid of hair or ears. This minimalist anatomical design was specifically intended to accommodate and support helmets of the period (such as the bacinette, the iron cap, or the great helm), without altering their internal structure.
2. Historical Function and Use
Display heads for armor and helmets, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, are an extremely rare find on the art market.
They were used in noble armories to store and display helmets and chainmail armor (camagli), preserving their shape.
They also served as working tools in the workshops of medieval master armorsmiths. 3. Condition and Patina
The piece features a surface of great historical charm. The wood retains a superb dark, deep patina that has developed over the centuries. The holes left by insects are a natural testament to its antiquity; they are perfectly stabilized and in no way compromise the sculpture’s structural integrity.
Category: Wooden sculpture / Military art objects / Early period (Haute Époque)
Period: 13th – 14th century (Middle Ages)
Material: Carved wood (single-block), antique patina
Dimensions: Height 22 cm
Condition: Good overall condition for its age; shows natural signs of wear from use and traces of wood-boring insect tunnels, dating back to a very remote period and now completely inactive. Beautiful, deep original patina.
Description and Analysis of the Work
1. Stylistic and Iconographic Description
This remarkable mannequin, or wooden display stand, depicts a stylized human face, carved in the round. The facial features are simple yet endowed with great expressive power:
The eyes: Carved in an almond shape, typical of the Romanesque-Gothic stylistic repertoire.
The nose and mouth: The nose has a straight, elongated profile that connects to the eyebrows; the mouth is narrow and horizontal, giving the face a solemn and dignified expression.
Overall shape: The head has a smooth, ovoid shape, devoid of hair or ears. This minimalist anatomical design was specifically intended to accommodate and support helmets of the period (such as the bacinette, the iron cap, or the great helm), without altering their internal structure.
2. Historical Function and Use
Display heads for armor and helmets, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, are an extremely rare find on the art market.
They were used in noble armories to store and display helmets and chainmail armor (camagli), preserving their shape.
They also served as working tools in the workshops of medieval master armorsmiths. 3. Condition and Patina
The piece features a surface of great historical charm. The wood retains a superb dark, deep patina that has developed over the centuries. The holes left by insects are a natural testament to its antiquity; they are perfectly stabilized and in no way compromise the sculpture’s structural integrity.
6 000 €
Period: Before 16th century
Style: Other Style
Condition: En l'etat
Reference (ID): 1844410
Availability: In stock
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