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Zischägge: HEN.M.95-1933

Object information

Awaiting location update

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown (Possibly)

Entities

Categories

Description

Zischägge, for use by an harquebusier, with punched, engraved and gilt decoration. Formed of a one-piece skull, a peak, a sliding nasal-bar, a neck-defence of five lames, and a pair of cheek-pieces. The hemispherical skull is decorated around its base with a raised band separated at an interval from a recessed band, and above them with radiating flutes of V-shaped section separated by raised ribs. Riveted at the apex of the skull is a moulded finial that retains a large fretted brass washer bearing punched ornament. The flat peak, which is attached at the brow of the skull by six round-headed rivets with square internal washers, projects forward to a truncated, acute, central point. The peak is pierced at its centre with a rectangular hole to receive the sliding nasal-bar which is secured at the brow of the skull by a rectangular staple and locking-screw. The upper end of the nasal-bar is of fretted, leaf-shaped form, and its lower end is fitted with a mushroom-shaped stud that serves as a stop. The broad, flaring neck-defence is formed of five upward-overlapping lames with cusped upper edges. The lower edge of the last lame, which is deeper than the rest, projects to a truncated acute central point. The lames are connected to one another and to the skull at each side by round-headed rivets with square internal washers, and were formerly connected to one another medially by an internal leather. The free edge of the neck-defence is bordered by lining-rivets. The cheek-pieces are stepped at their upper edges where they fit under the skull. Their sides curve in to a truncated point at their lower ends. The centre of each cheek-piece is decorated with a recessed boss that is pierced with five circular ventilation-holes. The cheek-pieces are attached to the skull by pairs of modern internal leathers that run down their sides as lining-bands and converge at their lower ends to form loops that served to lace them together beneath the chin.
The peak, the neck-defence and the cheek-pieces have plain inward turns or partial turns. The helmet is decorated with recessed bands and borders of punched, engraved and gilt scrolling foliage.

Notes

History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex.

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Measurements and weight

Depth: 38.0 cm
Height: 25.0 cm
Weight: 1.86 kg
Width: 26.0 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

17th Century, Late
Production date: circa AD 1680

Note

The cheek-pieces, the sliding nasal-bar and its locking-screw are modern restorations.

The helmet is bright with a light to medium patination overall. Its gilding is worn.

Components of the work

Internal Leathers composed of leather ( modern)
Decoration composed of gilt
Washer composed of brass (alloy)
Band, Ribs
Band
Cheek-pieces
Nasal-bar
Parts

Materials used in production

Steel

Techniques used in production

Hammered : Formed of a one-piece skull, a peak, a fretted sliding nasal-bar, a neck-defence of five lames, and a pair of cheek-pieces with pierced ventilation-holes; hammered, shaped, riveted, with fluted, raised, recessed, engraved and punched decoration
Patinating
Formed

Identification numbers

Accession number: HEN.M.95-1933
Primary reference Number: 18545
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 23 April 2012 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Zischägge" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/18545 Accessed: 2024-11-05 12:43:55

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/18545 |title=Zischägge |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-05 12:43:55|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-18545

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