A magnificent 'full size' helmet, with its crest fronted by the mythical sphinx.
A smaller version is also available.
Later photos show all three of the full size helmets together!
full size bronze helmet with mythical sphinx crest
Height on base: 51cm. Straight measurement from tip of front cheekpieces to the tip of the rear crest: 29cm . Width at widest point when looking straight at it: 18cm. Weight: 9kg
The prototype for these glorious helmets is the plain, uncrested Corinthian style of the 6th century BC. Originals of these can be seen in museums across the world. Those in the Goulandris Collection in the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, and in the Museum of Ancient Olympia are the inspiration for this collection.
The motifs on the crests are either geometric designs or symbolic creatures, as here.
Original helmets are much thinner and lighter than these, and the largest 'life-size' copies are also smaller than the circumference of today's average male head. They are most definitely not to be worn! Where mounted, they are on a marble base.
The bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted on a marble base, it will be a black or very dark grey base. There may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time.
It's All Greek is proud to have been working with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege to handle these gorgeous pieces and to sell them to customers all over the world.
Symbol of mystery, enigma, and challenge. The mythical sphinx had the face of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird of prey.
