Sallet

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A late fifteenth century sallet.

The sallet (also called salade) was a war helmet that replaced the bascinet in northern Europe during the mid-15th century. The sallet was close fitting except at the back of the head where it extended and formed a pointed tail. It often rested above an extended gorget called a bevor that protected the wearer's jaw. Rather than use a visor, a typical sallet pivoted on a hinge so that the whole helmet could tilt backward when not in use. A sallet needed no breathing holes because, when returned to the ready position, there was a natural gap where it overlapped the bevor near the wearer's mouth.

This helmet design contrasted with the barbute which was popular in Italy at the same time. Unlike the sallet, the barbute itself protected the jaw and neck. So whereas the gorget or bevor were important counterparts to the sallet, they were usually absent in barbutes. Barbutes did not pivot. Sallets did not share the barbute's resemblance to classical Greek or Roman artifacts.

One characteristic that distinguishes early sallets from late sallets is the length of the helmet tail, which became more pronounced toward the end of the century. Some helmets are of intermediate design, incorporating elements of both the barbute and the sallet. In the early 16th century this evolved into the burgonet.