UK export licences have been delayed on two extremely important pieces of German 15th-century armour, after they were recently purchased by an American buyer. These are a Nuremberg armour of 1495 (£2,802,000) and a 1480 helmet by Lorenz Helmschmied of Augsburg (£1,590,000).
Although the identities of the parties is not being revealed by the Export Reviewing Committee, our inquiries confirm that they both belonged to Reginald “Peter” Gwynne, who died last year, at the age of 96. Before that they had been owned by American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who kept them at St Donat’s Castle in Wales.
There are unconfirmed reports that the buyer of both pieces is New York collector Ronald Lauder, of the cosmetics company. He is a patron of the Metropolitan Museum, where the pieces could eventually go.
The Royal Armouries is now trying to raise funds to buy the Nuremberg armour decorated on the breastplate with the arms of Schott von Hellingen. Its export licence was deferred until 16 October, and subsequently deferred again until 16 January 2003. An application is being considered by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and if it is successful, then the National Art Collections Fund and other sources will be approached.
The Royal Armouries feels it cannot also go for the Helmschmied sallet (a type of helmet), whose licence was deferred until 30 November—and which could be extended until 30 March 2003.
The Helmschmied sallet was part of a suit of armour made for Emperor Maximilian I, the rest of which is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.This was unable to raise the necessary funds to buy the piece.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as ‘A knight among Yankees'