Moro helmet

Oliver Pinchot · 28th September 2014, 04:12 PM

Thanks, Fernando. The images make a useful record of the European antecedents of this type of Moro helmet. And as you say, the engravings serve to remind us that a great deal of pride was associated with military skills and accoutrements, a concept which was central to every culture that used them. For this reason, the embellishment of arms and armor, to whatever degree, was likewise universal.

There are some rare insights to be had from cultures like the Moro groups, which produced, or at least used, armor into the 20th century, particularly against (and alongside) repeating firearms. Members with more specific knowledge than what has been discussed above, or who at least have further examples of Moro helmets or armor, kindly chime in.

estcrh · 28th September 2014, 09:06 PM

Here are a couple more images.

Battara · 29th September 2014, 02:57 AM

All of these great examples!

Oliver Pinchot · 29th September 2014, 04:41 AM

They really are, thanks estcrh. The postcard is helpful, too.

Generally then, there are several forms of Moro helmet. At least one is modeled on a fully-developed form of burgonet from the second half of the 16th century, characterized by a pronounced peak, comb and neckguard. Cheekplates, the other key characteristic of the prototype burgonet, are likewise present but substantially minimized in the Moro adaptation. This type of Moro helmet does not appear to be influenced at all by the morion (although sheet brass helmets made in Sulawesi in the 17-19th century duplicate them with a remarkable degree of detail.)

The original helmet I posted also has what appears to be some Neoclassical influence... or not. It could be that its simple, elegant, sweeping lines were adopted from parade helmets produced in Italy during the same era as the burgonet, which were popular among the Spanish nobility (given the popularity of Italian armor throughout the Mediterranean in this period, and the Aragonese Kingdom of Naples.) But it could as likely be a case of parallel development, in which Moro smiths simply refined and streamlined the design for their own purposes (lighter weight, less raw material and ease of manufacture, for example.)

Thus, what emerges from this very rudimentary examination is a tendency toward two subtypes of burgonet-style helmet produced by Moro smiths:

1) which more closely follows the lines of its European prototype, and tends to be embellished with a greater amount of pierced work

and

2) a seemingly lighter, simpler form which has little or no pierced decoration

I hope these very tentative conclusions will stimulate further discussion and discovery.

28th September 2014, 09:06 PM	#2
estcrh Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: USA Posts: 1,492	Here are a couple more images. Attached Images Last edited by estcrh; 28th September 2014 at 09:25 PM.

28th September 2014, 04:12 PM	#1
Oliver Pinchot Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 465	Thanks, Fernando. The images make a useful record of the European antecedents of this type of Moro helmet. And as you say, the engravings serve to remind us that a great deal of pride was associated with military skills and accoutrements, a concept which was central to every culture that used them. For this reason, the embellishment of arms and armor, to whatever degree, was likewise universal. There are some rare insights to be had from cultures like the Moro groups, which produced, or at least used, armor into the 20th century, particularly against (and alongside) repeating firearms. Members with more specific knowledge than what has been discussed above, or who at least have further examples of Moro helmets or armor, kindly chime in.

29th September 2014, 02:57 AM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,280	All of these great examples!

29th September 2014, 04:41 AM	#4
Oliver Pinchot Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 465	They really are, thanks estcrh. The postcard is helpful, too. Generally then, there are several forms of Moro helmet. At least one is modeled on a fully-developed form of burgonet from the second half of the 16th century, characterized by a pronounced peak, comb and neckguard. Cheekplates, the other key characteristic of the prototype burgonet, are likewise present but substantially minimized in the Moro adaptation. This type of Moro helmet does not appear to be influenced at all by the morion (although sheet brass helmets made in Sulawesi in the 17-19th century duplicate them with a remarkable degree of detail.) The original helmet I posted also has what appears to be some Neoclassical influence... or not. It could be that its simple, elegant, sweeping lines were adopted from parade helmets produced in Italy during the same era as the burgonet, which were popular among the Spanish nobility (given the popularity of Italian armor throughout the Mediterranean in this period, and the Aragonese Kingdom of Naples.) But it could as likely be a case of parallel development, in which Moro smiths simply refined and streamlined the design for their own purposes (lighter weight, less raw material and ease of manufacture, for example.) Thus, what emerges from this very rudimentary examination is a tendency toward two subtypes of burgonet-style helmet produced by Moro smiths: 1) which more closely follows the lines of its European prototype, and tends to be embellished with a greater amount of pierced work and 2) a seemingly lighter, simpler form which has little or no pierced decoration I hope these very tentative conclusions will stimulate further discussion and discovery.