Large pot helmet by William of Staunton, 14th century.

Gift of William of Staunton's Large Pot Helmet, 14th Century.

William of Staunton's large pot helmet, medieval helmet, 14th century

The so-called great helmet , also called topfhelm , kübelhelm or fasshelm (in English great helmet or great helm or great helmet ), was often worn over a smaller, lighter helmet (e.g. a brain cap). It was widespread throughout Central Europe in the Middle Ages, and numerous contemporary illustrations, miniatures and finds from Germany, Flanders, England, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, etc. testify to the popularity of this type of helmet. Such helmets appeared during the Crusades in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and were used by knights until the 14th century.

The late medieval pot helmet we offer here is based on an early 14th-century stone relief depicting a knight with a dog at his feet and a shield and helmet upon his body (see last image above). The inscription running around the edge of the stone slab identifies the knight as Sir William de Staunton and reads: Hic jacet wilelmus de staunton miles filius galfridi de eadem militis qui obit nonis maii anno domin mcccxxxvi. cujus animae propitietur deus (roughly: here lies william de staunton miles, son of galfrid of the same soldiers, who died on the 9th of may in the year of our lord 1326. may god have mercy on whose soul). The inset relief (originally the lid of a stone coffin) is located in the church of st mary in staunton, nottinghamshire, england.

Our reconstruction is made of approximately 1.6 mm thick steel. The front features a stylized cross, cross-shaped and round recesses for necessary air circulation, and viewing slits measuring approximately 10.5 cm long and 1.2 cm wide. All individual helmet parts are connected by steel rivets. The helmet bell has a ring at the top, allowing a horsehair helmet cap or plume (not included) to be attached as desired.

The interior is blackened for improved corrosion protection and features an adjustable brown leather inlay secured with rivets. The adjustable chin strap, made of sturdy brown leather, is fitted with an antique-finished brass buckle.

This wearable knight's helmet is suitable for reenactment, LARP, stage, or television/film, and best suits late medieval settings. It's ideal for completing a European warrior's armor and will make your transformation into a noble knight simply perfect. Of course, the medieval helmet also makes an excellent decorative addition to any helmet collector's collection.

Details:

- Material: 1.6mm steel, leather inlay and chin strap, brass buckle (antique finish)

- Suitable for head circumference up to approx. 74 cm.
- Long interior distance (back of head-front): approx. 25 cm

- Short inner distance (ear-to-ear): approx. 22 cm

- Height: approx. 37 cm with ring / 34 cm without ring

- Weight: approx. 3.2 kg

The above specifications may vary slightly from copy to copy.

The steel used here is not stainless and may show slight signs of corrosion. We recommend regularly treating helmets (and armor in general), for example with Ballistol, a universal oil ideal for preserving steel products.

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