Roman Standard Bearer Signifer Ribchester Masked Sports Cavalry Helmet Armor

Description

This first copy is an enlarged fully restored example of the Ribchester helmet in it's original condition with my new interpretation of the Roman art work done on the front top central brow plate reflecting the cult of the Imperial Family in Rome.  This piece is made in red bronze but can be silver tinned plated.
My deceased British friend that I did business with for many years was Peter Shorer. He started working with the British Museum before WWII and continued until the 1970's when then started his own business. While working at the BM, he made a restored version of the Ribchestor helmet. Since the top central brow section was missing on the original and parts of the side visor were gone, he had to envision what designs he thought might have been there. He chose the eagle design. However, when he restored it, he left all of the pit holes and imperfections on the rest of the helmet. He made and sold copper and tin electroform metal copies of it for 00, which was really high. This was in the early 1990's.  This to me was not good as the original helmet was already really small and his mold of a mold of a mold work made it smaller and smaller still. I argued and made my case with him to make a pure restored helmet without imperfections but he fought me at every turn. We stopped doing business together about 10 years ago and when he passed away recently, I decided to fulfill the dream I had of this helmet. I have made a new and enlarged version of it now and made it to be in the condition it would have looked like back when I was lost. I also changed the design of the central top brow plate as not to infringe on Peters original work and I put the Imperial Family on it, with the bust of both the emperor and his wife. Any student of ancient Rome will know of the important cult of the Imperial Family and their worship by most peoples in the empire. Most emperors were declared gods during their lifetime and even the normally shy Augustus let all peoples outside of Italy who asked him if they could worship him as a god permission to do so. This was already a common practice in most of the eastern provinces anyway as their pervious kings and rulers had been considered divine for hundreds of years prior to Augustus.  It soon became common practice throughout the entire empire and even in Italy.
When Julius Caesar was declared a god after his death, Mark Antony became the high priest of the new cult.  However the young Augustus (Octavian) was now declared 'Son of God" as seen on this Roman coin below and minted in Italy even before he became Augustus in 26 BC and not even five years after he defeated Mark Antony at Actium.  So even in Italy and only after just a few short years after defeating Antony, people were considering him divine. This would plaque the later empire as Christians were killed for not accepting the gods of the Roman state, including Emperor worship.
The
Imperial cult of ancient Rome
identified emperors and some members of their families with the divinely sanctioned authority of the Roman State.
My Cult of the Imperial Family images of the Roman Emperor and his wife reflect to a higher degree of accuracy I believe with the already existing style of the original Roman work where the winged cherubs (so identified by the original British interpretation of the mask) and small heads and seated figures can be seen on the turreted wall and beside it on either side of the central device.   It can be argued that the other figures already seen seated by the turreted wall on either side of the mask could also be members of the Imperial family and if the cherubs not cherubs but are actually winged Victories as they can be seen carrying laurel wreaths as they fly over and towards the central figure, then the possibility of the Emperor being the central device is absolute.  It is also notable that I have not been able to find a single Roman cherub in any ancient Roman art medium ever carrying a laurel wreath, whereas winged Victories almost always carry them.  Imperial Roman eagles when seen in connection with wreaths are always either seen carrying a laurel in it's beak or having a laurel wrapped wrapped around it's wings.  Only the Emperor can be crowned by Victory herself as Roman coinage and Imperial marble reliefs reflect, thus reflecting his omnipresence on the battle field in any Roman victory, whether or not an Imago is there or not.  Images of the Imperial family on Roman armor, Roman weapons and other Roman military related equipment like Phalerae are well documented. The Xanten helmet and the sword of Tiberius to name just two famous pieces of Roman armor displaying the cult of the Imperial Family. A German historian of Roman armor says that the Romans silver tinned almost everything to make it bright and attractive.
The turreted wall going across the brow of the face is the Corona muralis or mural crown to us.  It is no accident that this is seen above the face as it was most likely really awarded to this soldier during some type of presentation before his piers and possible given to him in the name of the Emperor.  The Corona Muralis was a
golden
crown that looked like a turreted wall.  It was
circle
of
gold
indented
so as to
resemble
a
battlement,
bestowed
on
him
who
first
mounted
the
wall
of a
besieged
place,
and
there
lodged
a
standard.  It is highly unlikely that any Roman solider would be aloud to adorn his helmet with any such device of courage who had not earned it.  Similar to many of the laws of modern the modern military which forbid and prohibit the wearing of metal in public that you had not earned.
While it is not an offence to own modern medals which have not been awarded to you, it is illegal under section 197 of the Army Act 1955 to use these to pretend to be a member of the armed forces.  Thus you could be arrested today for doing this but in ancient Rome, you may have been stoned to death by fellow soldiers.
If you would like this helmet silver tinned, it can be done for 9 extra on the entire helmet.  No padding is included.
The comes in the red bronze finish unless you want the silver.  The mask is held onto the helmet by a hinge and has leather ties hold it close.
Copies of the original 1798 British paper work study of this helmet can be seen also attached.
For Roman standard bearers ( Signifers / Aquilifers ), both wolf skins and bear skins are in stock and available.