This helmet donated by Son Kee Chung was made in Greece during the 6th century BCE. This "Corinthian helmet," which is designed to cover and protect the head except for the eyes and mouth, narrows down and then flares around the neck.
This helmet was supposed to be awarded to Son Kee Chung as a prize for his victory in the men's marathon at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. However, it was kept at the Charlottenburg Museum in Berlin for some fifty years. After ardous efforts to retrieve his helmet, it was eventually returned to Son at a reception held in 1986 in celebration of fiftieth anniversary of the Berlin Games. In the following year, the helmet was designated by the Korean government as "Treasure" in recognition of Son Kee Chung's victory at the Olympiad.