Chinese Bronze Helmet
Late 20th century A.D. Of Eastern Zhou style helmet from a statue(?), domed with raised panels to the brim and vertical crest, hollow-formed spike above; the face-opening with shallow peak to the upper edge. Cf. for original similar helmets Cheng Dong and Zhong Shao-yi, Ancient Chinese Weapons - A Collection of Pictures, Beijing, 1990, fig 12, no. 4-157, of 5th-3rd century B.C.3.07 kg, 36 cm high (14 1/8 in.). Acquired in the 1990s. From a UK collection. The earliest bronze helmets in China date back to the Shang Dynasty, covered the neck and ears, and were often decorated with taotie masks and animal faces to make the warrior appear fearsome. Chou (Zhou) bronze helmets were similar to the Shang types but less elaborately decorated, and it is thought that the hood-shaped styles of the later Han Dynasty were metal copies of older leather versions. [No Reserve]