| Helmschmied Helmschmid | |
|---|---|
 Kolman Helmschmied and Agnes Breu. Wedding portrait by Jörg Breu the Elder. | |
| Country | |
| Place of origin | Augsburg |
| Founded | c. 1475 |
| Members | Lorenz Helmschmied Kolman Helmschmied Desiderius Kolman Helmschmied |
| Dissolution | c. 1600 |
The Helmschmied family of Augsburg were one of late medieval Europe's foremost families of armourers. Their name, sometimes also spelled Helmschmid, translates to helmet smith. The family's most prominent members were Lorenz Helmschmied (floruit 1467-1515), Kolman Helmschmied (1471–1532) and Desiderius Kolman Helmschmied (1513–1579).[1][2]
The Helmschmieds made armour for the high nobility of the Holy Roman Empire, including multiple emperors, for rulers of the Spanish Empire, for the archdukes of Austria and Tyrol, as well as other wealthy clients.[1] They competed for fame and noble patronage with the other two most prominent late 15th century European armour smith families, the Seusenhofers of Innsbruck (Austria) and the Missaglias of Milan.
Many works that the Helmschmieds made for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and Philip II of Spain are preserved in the Royal Armoury of Madrid, and many of their other works are kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
- ^ a b Breiding, Dirk H. (October 2002). "Famous Makers and European Centers of Arms and Armor Production". Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ "Helmschmied, Plattnerfamilie". Stadtarchiv Augsburg. Stadtarchiv Augsburg. Retrieved 2014-11-11.