Conservation around the Millennium (Hungarian National Museum, 2001)
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surfaces with the use of a pattern. The surplus on top of the crest that came from the stretching and repressing of the material was obliterated with notches and overlapping. There were no traces of hammering on the interior of the object, although it can always be seen, often with bare eyes, on the interior of helmets made with embossing, even when they are strongly corroded.6 The surface of the helmet was covered with white-coloured metal at some parts. During treatment, the remains of the coating were found at many spots. In some 2. The helmet as it arrived in the museum closed areas, however, contrary to other parts of the helmet, no trace of tinning could be discovered even during the treatments. As a bright yellow metal appeared already at the start of cleaning, we supposed that it was brass. I think we can accept it as a certainty that yellow and white metal colours were used on the surface of the helmet to emphasise the ornaments. The polychromatic effect fits the Roman taste. (Fig. 3) Scientific analysis7 Hungarian National Museum, Conservation Department supported my theory.8 The coating is, regrettably, incomplete. Nevertheless it seems certain that the ornaments imitating feathers on the two sides of the crest were alternately yellow and white coloured and the stylised locks hanging 3. Remains of tinning out from the close helmet were yellow. The snakes rose in brass colour from the white background and the stars also sparkled in yellow on the close helmet. RESTORATION OF THE HELMET The helmet was probably restored several times as suggested by the great variety of materials used on the interior surfaces. At the first restoration, fillings and reinforcements with gypsum were applied at several parts on the deformed and broken helmet. Probably some kind of treated gypsum was used (mixed with glue or a vegetal extract containing colloid 62
