Thomas Del Mar achieves world record price of £120,000 for Renaissance helmet Discovered in a house in Europe by Mr. Del Mar, this is one of the finest pieces to come onto the market for more than a decade. LONDON .- An important Renaissance helmet made a world-auction record price of £120,000 in Thomas Del Mars auction of Fine Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria which was held on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at Olympia Auctions, 25 Blythe Road, London W14. Discovered in a house in Europe by Mr. Del Mar, this is one of the finest pieces to come onto the market for more than a decade. This previously unrecorded helmet was bought by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and will be re-united with the rest of the elaborate garniture, which is already in their collection, and includes a close helmet, gauntlet for the left hand, breast and backplate. Made in Augsburg (South Germany), the gilt and embossed closed burgonet dates from circa 1555-60, and has etching attributed to Jörg Sorg the Younger. It was is estimated at £40,000-60,000, however after attracting much interest, which resulted in fierce competition between two private collectors and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, it sold for over double its pre-sale estimate [lot 332].