Beau morion gravé à haute crête, Italie du... - Lot 206 - Pierre Bergé & Associés

Beau morion gravé à haute crête, Italie du Nord vers 1570-80. A fine North Italian etched comb morion, circa 1570-80. Forged in one piece, with tall skull rising to a high narrow comb cabled over the top, narrow brim down turned at the sides and rising to sharp up turned points front and rear, recessed border with turned cabled edge, the base of the skull encircled by brass and iron rivets on decorated brass washers, and retaining its original shaped iron plume-holder on one side at the rear, decorated throughout with etched bands of trophies, including weapons, armour and various musical instruments, alternating with bands of scrolling foliage about the brim and over the skull, centring on classical busts differing over the respective sides of the comb, possibly Mars and Minerva, all arranged as panels on a contrasting stippled ground, and all set between linear bands of leafy tendrils. H.: 35,5 cm - L.: 35.5 cm - W.: 24.6 cm - Wt.: 2110 g. The treatment of the etched designs is of a higher quality than that which is more commonly encountered and dating from the last decade of the 16th century and the early 17th century; the trophies are particularly detailed and un-related to the so-called "mops and pots" style of the Pisan school.