Master armorer Filippo Negroli, out of deep respect for his craft and the warriors who would wear his creations, chose to work with steel rather than the more easily malleable iron. Using the repousse technique, he crafted pieces that, unlike those of many of his contemporaries, were not merely ornamental objects of art but true protectors, built to withstand the realities of battle.
In many of his works, Negroli reflected his fascination with the mythological hybrids of the Renaissance, weaving narratives that captured the tension between desire and moral warning. One of the most striking examples of this duality was a helmet, now displayed as a historical artifact.
Every curve on its surface told a rewritten myth. At its center was a Siren, rising from the depths, her dangerous beauty an irresistible lure. But this was no ordinary sea maiden—her serpentine locks revealed that she shared her form with Medusa. This fusion not only deepened her allure but intensified her peril. The helmet whispered its warning: Sirens lured sailors to their doom with enchanting songs, while Medusa turned them to stone with a single gaze. The Siren’s beauty and voice, paired with Medusa’s venomous hair and petrifying stare, captured both allure and terror in their purest forms.
Astarte, too, was drawn to the enchantment of this mythological hybrid that wrapped itself around the helmet—an allure neither sailors’ desires nor warriors’ strength could resist. Thus, this collection was born, offering a golden seal to those who wish to carry its nature upon their bodies—a nature that unsettles at times, yet ignites desire at others.
