[Of the Acquisition of Mambrino's Helmet] · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: [Of the Acquisition of Mambrino's Helmet]
Period: 1750-1800;
Geographic: Spain; Europe
Description: Travelling along a road, Don Quixote see's a man riding along with with something that shined like gold on his head and thinks this the helmet of Mambrino, when in fact it is only a a barber's brass basin worn ontop of his head to protect him from the rain. Nonetheless, thinking the basin a helmet of gold, and the barber a knight of high standard, Don Quixote put Rocinante at full speed, couched his lance and intended to run the poor barber through. Seeing Quixote charge at him, the barber fell from his donkey in fright and ran away with his steed, leaving his basin behind. Satisfied, Quixote picked up the basin and admired its shiny exterior still thinking it a helmet, while Sancho laughs at his master for thinking a brass basin to be a legendary gold helmet.
Image Creator: F. Hayman (Illustrator); G. V. Neist (Engraver)
Type: StillImage; Engraving
Identifier: mta:25052
Language: eng
Source Name: The History and Adventures of the Renowned Don Quixote
Parent Collection: 1792 Rivington
Image: mta_25052_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Don Quixote
Subject: Imagination; Literature; Don Quixote (Fictitious character) in bookplates; Knights and knighthood in art; Panza, Sancho (Fictitious character); Weapons; History; Literature