Helmschmied
The Helmschmieds 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, Kolman Helmschmied and Desiderius Kolman Helmschmied.
The Helmschmieds made armour for Philip II of the Spanish Empire, for the high nobility of the Holy Roman Empire, including the emperor himself, the archdukes of Austria and Tyrol, as well as other wealthy clients. They competed for fame and noble patronage with the other two most prominent late 15th century armoursmith families, the Seusenhofers of Innsbruck and the Missaglias of Milan.
Many works that the Helmschmieds made for Philip II and Charles V are preserved in the Royal Armoury of Madrid, and many of their other works are kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
