Helmet

The motif of a deity with a winged disk is common in Assyrian art, but the figure on this Urartian helmet is probably Haldi, the chief god of the Urartians.

Shape is roughly conical; made up of approximately hemispherical lower section and conical peak rising from top of this. Peak is rounded off at top to flat end, D. c. 1 cm. Badly broken around rim, only 1/2 to 2/3 of original surface preserved, only a short stretch (c. 5 cm) of actual rim remains. several cracks extending upward from broken edge. Conicial peak has been broken off and mended (in modern times) with cloth patches and a kind of putty or plaster. Irregular hole broken through near tip of peak (c. 2.4 x 1.4 cm). Fine smooth lt. green patina with areas of crystalline green and spots of rough reddish brown. Patina is rubbed or worn away to bare metal in places. Decoration is in two main registers running horizontally around lower part of helmet. Upper frieze is bordered by bands of 2 incised lines with opposing dog-teeth. This register is largely preserved. Dominated by a large R facing deity whose torso is surrounded by a winged halo. Figure extends both above and below the limits of the upper frize (border is discontinued in this section). very likely it stood on a bull in the lower register as helmet 67-39-22. To the L of deity are 2 winged men kneeling on either side of a 12-pointed rosette. Just beyond this three lions stride to the R. On the R of the god is a similar group with lions facing L. These are the best preserved animals on the helmet. Separating the last lion in each group is another 12-pointed rosette. The lower register is bordered by a band of two incised lines with opposing dog teeth on top, and by a raised rib on the bottom. Very little of this frieze is preserved: a portion at the remaining piece of rim shows a complete lion facing R, and the hind leg and part of the head of another in front of it. A number of lines are visible to the L, but they cannot be made out prior to cleaning. Another portion preserved about 1/4 of the way around to the L is badly corroded, but the upper portions of two lions facing L can be seen. A few other undecorated fragments of the lower frieze are preserved. The decoration is in low repousse relief with all the details incised from the front. The deity on the upper register is in slightly higher relief than the rest. The walls of the helmet are rather heavy and it may have been partially cast (i.e. the peak, and the rest hammered out) or it could have been made in two sections with the join at the break and masked by the adhesive.