Close Helmet for a Cuirassier ca. 1615-20 Italian The form and construction of this helmet are typical for an Italian heavy cavalry helmet of good quality from the early seventeenth century. Highly unusual, however, are the engraved and gilded letters and monograms that decorate its russet surface. These probably represent the name or motto of an Italian or French nobleman, but their meaning, perhaps the key to the owner's identity, remain to be discovered.. Close Helmet for a Cuirassier 35695