The Sutton Hoo Helmet by Unknown Artist - early 600 - 31,5 x 25,5 x 21,5 cm British Museum The Sutton Hoo Helmet by Unknown Artist - early 600 - 31,5 x 25,5 x 21,5 cm British Museum

The Sutton Hoo Helmet

iron, copper, gold, silver, tin, garnet • 31,5 x 25,5 x 21,5 cm
  • Unknown Artist Unknown Artist early 600

Well, it's Medieval Week in DailyArt Magazine, so time for something ... early Medieval!

The Sutton Hoo helmet is an ornately decorated Anglo-Saxon helmet found during a 1939 excavation of the Sutton Hoo ship burial. It was buried around 625 and is widely believed to have belonged to King Rædwald of East Anglia; its elaborate decoration may have given it a secondary function akin to a crown. The helmet was both a functional piece of armor that would have offered considerable protection if ever used in warfare, and a decorative, prestigious piece of extravagant metalwork. It is described as "the most iconic object" from "one of the most spectacular archaeological discoveries ever made," and perhaps the most important known Anglo-Saxon artifact.

The visage contains eyebrows, a nose, and a moustache, creating the image of a man joined by a dragon's head to become a soaring dragon with outstretched wings. It has become a symbol of the Early Middle Ages. Lovely, isn't it?

P.S. If you want to know more about this mysterious treasure featured in a novel and a movie, visit the misty countryside of East Anglia here. <3