Morion (c. 1575–1600): Art, History and Details

Morion (c. 1575–1600) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The morion, an open helmet characterized by a tall comb and curved brim peaking before and after, was popularly associated with the Spanish conquistadors in the New World. In fact, morions were worn by infantry and light horsemen throughout Europe. They were also commonly worn by palace guards and thus often were decorated. This example has been beautifully etched over its entire surface. Armor this exquisitely decorated would not have been worn in battle, but used by palace guards for ceremonies and display.

Object facts

• Title: Morion
• Date: c. 1575–1600
• Culture: North Italy, late 16th Century
• Type: Arms and Armor
• Technique: steel with etched floral motif and medallion (on comb) with boar under oak tree
• Dimensions: Overall: 39 x 23.5 x 33 cm (15 3/8 x 9 1/4 x 13 in.)
• Collection: MED - Arms & Armor
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1916.1808

A detail from the museum

Amongst the swirling floral patterns on this helmet, there is scene of a boar under a tree in the center medallion of the comb that tops the helmet.

Collection credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance

Further reading listed by the museum

• Catalogue of Arms and Armour. [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], 1900.
• Gilchrist, Helen Ives. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924.
• Cleveland Museum of Art, and Helen Ives Gilchrist. Handbook of the Severance Collection of Arms and Armor. 2d ed., 1948.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.