however, was now the favourite medium. In the "Betrayal" illustration (page 67, Fig. 83) the substance of the helmets is not suggested by the usual primitive blue tint for iron or red for copper; they are painted in segments of green, orange, and white, and the binding material round the lower edge, silver. This clearly demonstrates that the helmet was either covered with some coloured material, or that the surface itself was painted, a custom similar to that in vogue in the XIVth century. Further evidence of the helmet colouring in the XIIth century can be seen in the Huntingfield Psalter illustration (page 68, Fig. 84). Here, among the other armaments which the five Israelites are picking up, is a conical helmet with nasal-guard painted yellow. As the remainder of the illustration is rendered in natural colouring the evidence is strongly in favour of the helmet being decorated with paint. One more instance is found in the helmet of Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, who died in 1149, shown on the enamelled plate now in the Museum of Mans, but originally in the church of St. Julian of that town, where he was buried (Fig. 93). His helmet, which is decorated with a lion of gold on either side, on a blue ground, may be a little later in fashion, as it is recorded that the enamelled plate was not executed until twelve years after the death of the Count, but it is certainly decorated with polychromatic colours. We can produce no actual helmet of this time to assist us in confirming our theories.
In the picture from the Huntingfield Psalter just referred to, the item of greatest interest is the blue helmet laying on the sea bed. This helmet, which is very accurately drawn, shows a great advance in construction, for it possesses a visor or mezaille.
The skull-piece is almost hemispherical, and what in other helmets is a nasal-guard here broadens out at the end to form a fairly substantial visor, extending to the lower part of the chin. This feature is certainly remarkable, as being the earliest (close of the XIIth century) suggestion of a visor, to be found in an English manuscript. The mezaille does not generally become a feature of the helmet until well into the first quarter of the XIIIth century. An additional point of interest is the appearance of a curtain of chain mail attached to the helmet in place of the coif worn under the helmet.
The Norman shield of this period is still kite-shaped although it varies very much in size. It appears now more abruptly curved, to form a better protection. No happier illustration can be given of this large type of shield than that borne by the Count of Anjou in the enamelled plate (Fig. 93), in which it is carefully rendered and heraldically coloured. Here we
