Close helmet, 1591

  • Anton Peffenhauser, German, Augsburg, ca. 1525 - 1603

Steel, gold, leather, copper alloy

  • Overall: 15 × 9 3/16 × 13 inches, 16.1 pounds (38.1 × 23.3 × 33 cm, 7.3 kg)

Gift of William Randolph Hearst Foundation

53.202.1

Stamped, on the right side of upper bevor (pivoting face defense): inspection mark of Augsburg armorers’ guild [a fir cone upon a pedestal]

Inscribed, in yellow paint on interior back of colletin (neck defense): 11

1591, commissioned by Margravine Sophie of Brandenburg, Duchess of Saxony [1568-1622] for Prince-Elector Christian I [1560-1591] (Dresden, Germany)

1591, inherited by Prince-Elector Christian II [1583-1611]

1611, passed by descent through his heirs, the Prince-Electors of Saxony (Dresden, Germany)

1827, inherited by King Anton of Saxony [1755-1836] (Dresden, Germany)

1832, transferred with the contents of the royal and electoral armory to the Königliches Historisches Museum (Dresden, Germany)

1925, sold to William Randolph Hearst (New York, New York, USA)

1951, by bequest to the William Randolph Hearst Foundation (New York, New York, USA)

1953, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

Beuten, Tobias. Chur-Fürstlischer Säschsicher stets grünender hoher Cedern-Wald...oder kurze Vorstellung der churfürstlische sachsiche hohen Regal-Wercke. Dresden, 1671, [unnumbered]. Ehrenthal, Max von. Führer durch das Königliche Historische Museum zu Dresden, 2nd ed. Dresden: Wilhelm Baensch, 1897, p. 41-44, nos. 10, 12, 14, 16, or 19. Haenel, Erich. Kostbare Waffen aus der Dresdner Rüstkammer. Leipzig, 1923, p. 26. F. W. Robinson. "A Gift of Arms and Armor from the Collection of William Randolph Hearst." Bulletin of the DIA 33, no. 1 (1953-1954): pp. 1-5. The Art of the Aromorer. Exh. cat., Flint Institute of Arts. Flint MI, December 7, 1967-April 1, 1968, cat. no. 10 (ill.). Schedelmann, Hans. "Ein Rückblick auf den Waffenmarkt des letzten halben Jahrhunderts." Waffen und Kostümkunde 15, no. 1 (1973): pp. 25–51, p. 28, (fig. 6) (ill.). "Family Art Game," Detroit Free Press (April 26[16], 1981): p. 23 (ill.) [DIA Advertising Supplement].

Anton Peffenhauser, Close helmet, 1591, Steel, gold, leather, copper alloy. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of William Randolph Hearst Foundation, 53.202.1.