An ancient Greek helmet formed from a single sheet of sculpted bronze has sold online for $27,000.
The helmet, which was previously on display at the Artemis Gallery, hails from the 6th-5th century BC, and duly boasts a speckled green patina.
 Corinthian helmet: during the 6th-5th century BC, bronze and copper were the primary materials used in the making of armour. Copper and bronze were supplanted by iron after “modern” smelting techniques were perfected |
The helmet was made in ancient Corinth (a historically significant Greek city state of antiquity equidistant from Athens and Sparta).
The Corinthian helmet sold at the top end of its $15,000-30,000 estimate at the June 13 auction.
A comparable Corinthian helmet sold for €12,000 ($15,990) in October 2005.
 An Illyrian bronze helmet, which demonstrates the differences between Greek and Illyrian armour hailing from the same period |
An Illyrian bronze helmet also put in a strong performance, bringing $16,000.
Featuring elongated cheek pieces and a button pin by which a crest would have been attached, the bronze age helmet illustrates the ways in which different nations developed distinct styles of armoury.
Illyria, situated in the western part of the Balkan peninsula, was occupied by the Romans following the Illyrian wars (229-167 BC). Subsequently the helmet exhibits characteristics typical of Roman, rather than neighbouring Greek, armoury, such as a short rear flange and two raised ridges running over the crown.
Ancient antiquities have historically proved popular at auction. A Hellenistic marble figure of a muse sold for $1.5m at Sotheby's in December 2002, while a Greek marble carving sold for $902,500 at Sotheby's last year.
Here at Paul Fraser Collectibles, we have a range of thought-provoking unique items in stock.
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