St. Augustine Florida Excavated Spanish Morion

dana_w · 10th February 2017, 10:44 PM

This morion was excavated on St. Augustine Florida's Anastasia Island near the Alligator Farm in the early 1960's. The man who found this it patched the holes and painted it, then wore it for years in the St. Augustine Easter Parade. When my father, F.E. (Jack) Williams, spotted it he offered to purchase it, then did his best to return the helmet to its as found condition.

Battara · 11th February 2017, 03:53 AM

Nice condition for being excavated! I too and from Florida, not too horribly far from St. Augustine! Seen the place several times.

Thanks for posting this.

Jim McDougall · 11th February 2017, 07:43 PM

Excellent! It does appear to be a morion. But didn't they usually have a comb? Often the Spaniards wore cabassets. What period would this be from?
St. Augustine is one of the earliest colonial settlements in North America (excluding of course the Newfoundland situations).

What sort of colonial activity would this correspond to in the area it was excavated?

Fascinating to see a great old helmet, but it would be interesting to know more about it.

dana_w · 11th February 2017, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Excellent! It does appear to be a morion. But didn't they usually have a comb? Often the Spaniards wore cabassets. What period would this be from?
St. Augustine is one of the earliest colonial settlements in North America (excluding of course the Newfoundland situations).

What sort of colonial activity would this correspond to in the area it was excavated?

Fascinating to see a great old helmet, but it would be interesting to know more about it.

As you are right to point out Jim, this would more properly be called a Cabasset. I've spent too much time around people calling these helmets Morions and the ones with the comb, Comb Morions.

St. Augustine was founded in 1565, for a short time the town was located on Anastasia Island and a watchtower was located there after the town was relocated back to the mainland.

The raid of St. Augustine by Sir Francis Drake in 1586 is illustrated in this hand-colored engraving, by Baptista Boazio, 1589

fernando · 11th February 2017, 08:34 PM

Apparently morions are often called cabassets, a more generic name.
Morions do indeed have a comb, while the cabasset has a little appendix on the top, called pear. Both versions were used by Spaniards and Portuguese.
This example has all looks to be original and therefore dated from the beg. XVI century.
There are a couple members with a lot of knowledge on these things.

Terry K · 12th February 2017, 03:38 AM

What a find!

fernando · 12th February 2017, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry K

What a find!

And with a most convincing look and extremely well recuperated

.

And if you don't mind Dana, i will show here the so called "Gold cabasset of Goa", a master piece of Indo-Portuguese art, probably ordered by a Vice-Roy, a recurrent luxury practiced by period nobility, the type of those exuberant excesses then forbidden by the King. It is indeed a repousse work in copper, covered with a thick layer of gold. The motifs depicted are various, namely hunting scenes on horse and foot, with Europeans wearing "baloon" trousers, and a number of flowers, birds and animals, including monkeys with human faces.
It was located in the Azores, for no explained reason, and it was covered with black pitch, in a way to hide its real value.

.

10th February 2017, 10:44 PM	#1
dana_w Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southeast Florida, USA Posts: 429	St. Augustine Florida Excavated Spanish Cabasset (Morion) This morion was excavated on St. Augustine Florida's Anastasia Island near the Alligator Farm in the early 1960's. The man who found this it patched the holes and painted it, then wore it for years in the St. Augustine Easter Parade. When my father, F.E. (Jack) Williams, spotted it he offered to purchase it, then did his best to return the helmet to its as found condition. Attached Images Last edited by dana_w; 11th February 2017 at 09:21 PM.

11th February 2017, 03:53 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,226	Nice condition for being excavated! I too and from Florida, not too horribly far from St. Augustine! Seen the place several times. Thanks for posting this.

11th February 2017, 07:43 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,952	Excellent! It does appear to be a morion. But didn't they usually have a comb? Often the Spaniards wore cabassets. What period would this be from? St. Augustine is one of the earliest colonial settlements in North America (excluding of course the Newfoundland situations). What sort of colonial activity would this correspond to in the area it was excavated? Fascinating to see a great old helmet, but it would be interesting to know more about it.

11th February 2017, 08:34 PM	#5
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Apparently morions are often called cabassets, a more generic name. Morions do indeed have a comb, while the cabasset has a little appendix on the top, called pear. Both versions were used by Spaniards and Portuguese. This example has all looks to be original and therefore dated from the beg. XVI century. There are a couple members with a lot of knowledge on these things.

12th February 2017, 03:38 AM	#6
Terry K Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 86	What a find!