Ancient Roman Cavalry Helmet at Auction: Big Pic
-
Sept. 14, 2010 -- Dating back nearly 2,000 years, this remarkably well preserved ancient Roman bronze helmet is going on the auction block at Christie's London. The artifact is expected to fetch between 200,000 to 300,000 pounds ($242,000 to $363,000).
Discovered in the United Kingdom by a metal detector hobbyist, the Roman helmet features the face of a Roman athlete wearing a cap with a miniature griffin riding at the crest. Although the helmet currently is a dull green, in its time, the face of the mask would have been bright white, with the hair and cap appearing in brilliant gold as a strong contrast.
Though helmets are typically associated with warfare, this artifact would actually have been worn for what was called hippika gymnasia, which were sporting events involving cavalry.
Photo credit: AP Photo
-
our sites
-
video
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
comments ( )