The Bizarre Looking Of Henry VIII’s Horned Helmet, c.1511-1514 – Design You Trust

The Bizarre Looking Of Henry VIII’s Horned Helmet, c.1511-1514

One of the most mysterious objects in the Royal Armouries’ collection is the ‘Horned Helmet’, made for Henry VIII. It formed part of a magnificent armor, commissioned in 1511 by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I as a gift for the young king, who would have worn the armor for court pageants rather than in combat.

Only this helmet now survives. The decoration on the grotesque mask is etched, with life-like facial details even down to the stubble on the chin and crow’s feet around the eyes, and there is a pronounced drip beneath the nose. The mask is complete with a pair of spectacles, which heighten further the strangeness of this helmet. A pair of ram’s horns, beautifully modeled in sheet iron, complete this extraordinary piece and make it so remarkable that it was chosen as the object to represent the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds when it first opened in 1996.

Research into the identification of the source which inspired the mask of the Horned Helmet is continuing, but the copper alloy (possibly originally gilded) spectacles were never fitted with lenses. It is believed that the spectacles form part of the identity of a ‘fool’, a figure commonly found in late 15th- and early 16th-century imagery, suggesting that everyone, however noble or lowly, has elements of foolishness in their character.

More info: Royal Armouries (h/t: vintag.es)










If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

The Most Fantasy Creatures From Another World By Katyushka Dolls
Traffic Sign In Texas Displays Witty Warnings Of Global Warming
Indian Artist Imagined How Famous Brands Would Look Like In A Dystopian Monochromatic World
Meet The Trikini, Beach Fashion’s Answer To Coronavirus
Ed Gein Style Horror Jacket Is The Most Terrifying Jacket Ever
Stress: TMJ Disorder Visualized As A Bronze And Concrete Sculpture
These Weird Clocks Use Human Faces To Display The Time
Odires Mlászho’s Book Sculptures Re-Bound With Interweaved Pages
1960s Space Age Toy Rocket Shoes Simulate Walking On The Moon
The Superb Bizarre and Futuristic Shoe Concept Designs by UV-朱
This Paint-Splattered Clothing Is Actually Incredible Embroidery
The Paul Milinski Retro Futuristic Dreamscapes Are Serenity Manifest
Anonymouse Are Opening Tiny Shops For Mice In Sweden
This DIY Kit Gives Creepy Glowing Red Eyes To Any Statue
Stunning Underwater Scultpures Near Maldives By Jason deCaires Taylor
A Minimal, Multi-Colored Keyboard That Would Brighten Up Your Work Day
Russian Artist Created Family Protective Suits After The News About Children With Congenital Cancer
Unbelievable Hair Sculptures By Tresse Agoche
This Stunning Dragon Bench Was Birthed From A Chainsaw And Single Log
Katerina Kopytina Has Designed an Astronomy Inspired Planter Collection
These Protective Wearables Feature Tiny Cat Ears For Added Playfulness
Toru Iwatani Shows His Original Drafts For Pac-Man
An Interactive Artwork That Wants Us To Focus On The Smallest Biggest Polluter Out There - The Cigarette Butt
Russian Student Starts Lucrative Business Creating Elegant Signatures For Other People