'Spanish' morion, made in Northern Italy, formed in one piece with a tall almond-shaped crown rising at its apex to a short backward-directed ‘stalk’, and a narrow integral brim rising slightly to a point at its front and rear. The edge of the brim, which is turned inwards and roped with a file at intervals, is followed by a narrow recessed border.

The eighteen rivets that originally encompassed the base of the crown for the attachment of the lining and of the cheek-pieces are all missing. The crown is etched in relief with ten narrow bands radiating from its apex and filled in each case with scattered military trophies on a stippled and blackened ground. Each band is flanked to either side by a trio of blackened lines of which those edging the radiating bands join to form inverted arches at the bases of each of the blank panels. The brim is etched with a corona of stylized acanthus tips and at its apex with an acanthus calyx. The brim is struck internally with the letter 'P'.

Probably Milanese or Brescian. Similar to RCIN 67296.

The phrase ‘Murryons of Spanyshe fassyon’ is found in the 1588 Inventory of the Tower Armouries in contra-distinction to ‘Murryons’. The accounts of the Master of the Armouries, dating from the early seventeenth century contain many references to converting ‘old combe moryons into serviceable Spanishe moryons’. Sir John Smythe writing in 1591 refers to ‘vpright morrions after the Spanish manner’.

Measurements: height 27.7 cm, width 24.2 cm, depth 36.5 cm. Weight: 1.304 kg.

Text adapted from Arms and Armour in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen: European Armour, London, 2016