AN ANCIENT GREEK BRONZE ILLYRIAN HELMET 550-480 BC (ED.24.043)

Formed from a single piece, this Illyrian helmet features a rounded crown decorated on either side with raised medial ridges of inverted V-section. At the rear, an outward-projecting flange forms a short neck guard measuring approximately 2–3 cm in width, while a large projecting central rivet is present at the brow. The integral cheek pieces extend vertically downward alongside the rectangular facial opening, rising from the anterior corners and curving elegantly toward the back, where they terminate in pointed side cutouts that slope into the slightly flaring neck guard. The smooth rim of the facial opening and the rear edges of the cheek pieces are decorated with a series of small punched circular marks, reminiscent of the rivet rows seen on earlier examples, and the corners of the cheek pieces are pierced with holes. Across the crown, two ridges hammered out from the interior form a crest rail for the attachment of a plume. This Illyrian has a height of 24 cm.

Provenance

  • Private Greek Australian collector Elias (Louis) Dounis, acquired December 2024 (ED.24.043).

  • Collection of Norman Fargo, Sandpoint Idaho acquired on the art market in the early 2000s.

  • Originally with John R. Gangel founder of Musket and Sabre Antique Arms in Costa Mesa, acquired in the 1970s from an unknown American auction house in California, reputably Sotheby’s.

Exhibitions

  • The Hellenic Museum Australia.

    280 William St, Melbourne VIC 3000.

    Exhibition; Heroes & Hoplites, Warfare In Ancient Greece, 2019.

    Identifier: L.2024.8.C

Publications

  • Dounis, C. (2024). “Comprehensive Study: Greek Bronze Illyrian Helmet” Report.

Find Spot

Unknown, possibly Greece or further north, where a number of similar helmets have been excavated. Possibly discovered in a tomb which was customary for the time and would also explains in tack survival over the millenniums.

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