SOLD A good quality authentic antique 17th -18th Islamic Indo Persian nobleman helmet Kulah-Khud. A hemi-spherical skull formed of one hand forged steel plate, with a stout mounted long spike at the top, a pair of plume-holders, a movable guard nasal flanked by two plume holders, retaining its original neck-defence camail of chain mail of rounded links. The skull is chiseled over its entire surface with floral and creeper designs and decorated with elaborated cartouches inlaid in gold koftgari.
The edge of the helmet is adorned by a broad band of twelve medallions containing script in Arabic calligraphy and heightened in silver koftgari. The skull of the helmet is hand forged from a single piece of thick solid steel with visible hammer marks in the interior but with a perfectly smooth surface on the exterior.
MEASUREMENTS: Height from the top of the spike to the bottom of the mail: 66 cm (26 inches), Height from the top of the spike to the bottom edge of the helmet: 27 cm (10 5/8 inches), Diameter: 18.7 cm (7 3/8 in).
REFERENCES: A two similar helmet are in the collection of the National Museum of New Delhi dated to 17th century, published in the "Indian Armours in the National Museum Collection Catalogue" by G.N.Pant and K.K.Sharma, Page 50 Figure 24, Page 52 Figure 26.
The buyer will be provided with a copy of the pages from the mentioned reference.
Due to the fact that the market is flooded by reproductions of Indo Persian Arms and Armour, including helmets, which for inexperienced collectors look the same, we would like to inform our clients that this is a 100% authentic antique object, and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
