Filippo s Burgonet ( 1543 ) - 1200 Words

Filippo Negroli’s Burgonet (1543) is a highly detailed decorative helmet fashioned out of a single plate of steel. Patinated to have the appearance of bronze, ancient Roman-inspired carvings adorn the surface. The piece is 9.5 inches in height, 7.3 inches in width, and weighs 4 lb. 2 oz. Originally created in Milan, it now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The helmet exists on its own — there is no accompanying armor or shield. This makes sense as the helmet exists for purely aesthetic reasons. A burgonet is a term for a visored helmet. These were helmets that were largely open-faced, with a crest running from back to front. The burgonet became commonplace during the Renaissance. Negroli’s Burgonet clearly takes†¦show more content†¦Since this burgonet is created out of one sheet of steel, it allows the entire helmet to have a unified, highly polished look. This further contributes to the elegant and simple shape of the overall helmet. It is, of course, impossible to consider this helmet without discussing the detailed surface. All the other details — the simple, curved shape, the single, shiny sheet of steel, the riff on the classic burgonet — are in service of the carefully constructed surface design. Ancient Roman creatures and myths commingle to create a harmonious design which flows together with the overall shape. At the center of it all is a lounging siren, forming the crest. Her body travels the entire helmet, reaching down to the visor, where it is revealed that she is holding a severed head. Considering that this head has hair made of snakes (and the fact that it is severed at all) suggests this to be the head of Medusa. Evil and transfixing, it stares out at the viewer from the front. Moving around the side, cherubs, scrolls, flowers, and decorative lines all swirl together, the curving shapes matching the curves of the steel. The left and right sides are perfectly mirrored to each other. This is seen most clearly when turning to the back of the helmet— the siren’s scaly tail reaches down toward the base. It branches off on either side, immediately connecting to the swirling mass of objects on either side (completely identical). This creates a ringing effect, starting