Helmet Crest for the Burgonet of Sforza Pallavicino (1519–1585)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The helmet crest as a badge of identity became a necessity in the thirteenth century, when European knights began to wear helmets that covered their faces. By the sixteenth century the use of crests tended to be limited to tournaments and funerary decorations in churches. For practical reasons most crests were fashioned from lightweight materials, such as gessoed and painted leather or wood, whereas this rare example is of gold-damascened iron. The seven-headed Hydra was the personal device of Sforza Pallavicino (ca. 1510–1585), a soldier who served in the imperial, papal, and Venetian armies. This crest, which is 7 5/8 inches in height, was intended to surmount a richly embossed and damascened helmet (now in the State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg) that bears the same Hydra emblem. (The rear portion of the tail appears to be an inaccurate restoration.)

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art