The classic armet had a narrow extension to the back of the skull reaching down to the nape of the neck, and the cheekpieces were hinged, horizontally, directly from the main part of the skull. While an armet had two large cheekpieces hinged at the skull and opened laterally, a close helmet instead had a kind of movable bevor which was attached to the same pivot points as its visor and opened vertically. The term armet was often applied in contemporary usage to any fully enclosing helmet, however, modern scholarship draws a distinction between the armet and the outwardly similar close helmet (or close helm) on the basis of their construction, especially their means of opening to allow them to be worn. Movable face and cheek pieces allowed the wearer to close the helmet, thus fully protecting the head from blows. The armet reached the height of its popularity during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, when western European full plate armour had been perfected. 1587 An armet with a German form of construction, but possibly of Florentine Italian manufacture, opening in a manner different from a classic armet Use and variations Armet made in 1915 to replace the missing original on an English Greenwich armour c. This may have had some influence on the development of the armet. 1400 (sometimes termed 'Venetian great bascinets') were discovered in Chalcis, Greece these possess a single hinged cheekpiece (the other being immobile). However, a number of Italian bascinets dating to c. The innovation of a reduced skull and large hinged cheek pieces was such a radical departure from previous forms of helmet that it is highly probable that the armet resulted from the invention of a single armourer or soldier, and not as the result of evolution from earlier forms. An Italian origin for this type of helmet therefore seems to be indicated. The earliest surviving armet dates to 1420 and was made in Milan. The earlier armet often had a small aventail, a piece of mail attached to the bottom edge of each cheek-piece. 1520, after which the hinge disappeared and the visor had a solid connection to its pivot. The visor attached to each pivot via hinges with removable pins, as in the later examples of the bascinet. A reinforcement for the bottom half of the face, known as a wrapper, was sometimes added its straps were protected by a metal disc at the base of the skull piece called a rondel. The cheek-pieces opened laterally by means of horizontal hinges when closed they overlapped at the chin, fastening by a spring-pin which engaged in a corresponding hole, or by a swivel-hook and pierced staple. The typical armet consisted of four pieces: the skull, the two large hinged cheek-pieces which locked at the front over the chin, and a visor which had a double pivot, one either side of the skull. 1440, probably Milanese, Metropolitan Museum of ArtĪs the armet was fully enclosing, and narrowed to follow the contours of the neck and throat, it had to have a mechanical means of opening and closing to enable it to be worn. It has a single hinged cheekpiece, and its type may have had some influence on the development of the armet. Its use was essentially restricted to the fully armoured man-at-arms.Īppearance and origins Italian bascinet c. It was distinguished by being the first helmet of its era to completely enclose the head while being compact and light enough to move with the wearer. It was extensively used in Italy, France, England, the Low Countries and Spain. The armet is a type of combat helmet which was developed in the 15th century. 1490), it is fitted with a wrapper and aventail, and the method of opening the helmet is shown Early type of lightweight helmet that fully enclosed the head Construction of a classic armet (c.
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