in Germany, and in Spain. Look at that remarkable helmet in the British Museum, which almost duplicates the Norwich skull-piece (Fig. 303, a, b). Yet, strange to relate, this head defence was found at Kordofan, on the White Nile. That it should have crept one thousand eight hundred miles up the Nile and found its way back to Europe after nearly four centuries is certainly a point of interest. It is on record that one of the charges made against Jacques Cœur, the celebrated silversmith of Charles VII of France, was that he had sold armour to the Soldan of Babylon, as the Khalif of Egypt was then called. It is possible then that this helmet was part of the armour exported by the great French merchant; as in form it corresponds fairly well with helmets made about his time. The trial of Jacques Cœur took place in 1452; but the exportation of armour that constituted the charge made against him took place before this date. It is probable, too, that the armour exported was not of the latest fashion. This much-travelled helmet, together with a large ethnographical collection, was presented to the British Museum by Mr. Henry Christy. It was given to Mr. Christy by the Khedive of Egypt, in whose collection it was when exhibited at Paris in 1867.
An image should appear at this position in the text. To use the entire page scan as a placeholder, edit this page and replace "{{missing image}}" with "{{raw image|A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 1).djvu/333}}". Otherwise, if you are able to provide the image then please do so. For guidance, see Wikisource:Image guidelines and Help:Adding images. |  |
Fig. 305. Skull-piece of a "great" bascinet helmet
Possibly French, first quarter of XVth century
Collection: Sir Edward Barry
