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Product description
This is a replica of a Roman face mask, or larva mask, from the 1st century BC, discovered in Kalkriese. In the Roman army, certain soldiers wore larva masks alongside helmets. Depictions of Roman soldiers wearing masks are rare, but historians believe cavalry officers and standard-bearers wore them most — including the Signifer, Vexillarius, Imaginifer, and Aquilifer.
Larva masks may have offered some protection in combat, but that was likely not their main purpose. Craftsmen modeled them after legendary heroes of antiquity — figures like Alexander the Great — reflecting a warrior tradition that glorified individual acts of heroism and even deified its fighters. Most larva masks were made from iron or brass and silver-plated to create a striking appearance. Wearing one made a soldier unrecognizable, transforming him into a living embodiment of a hero, god, or mythical warrior.
Made from 1.2 mm thick galvanized brass, this mask mounts easily onto a helmet. It weighs 200 grams.
