Khula Khud

[graeme gt]

Hi Guys,Can you give me any info on this one its well made with gold and silver inlay.

[graeme gt]

Detail of inlay.

[Battara]

Qajar period in Persia?

[Atlantia]

Hi Graeme,
Is the helmet yours?

[Dom]

sources PittRivers Museum
http://images.google.fr/imgres?imgur...CIKL4AaJoayqCA


Information

This impressive-looking helmet is an early 19th century example from Persia (now Iran). It has a mail aventail made of two different metals forming a diamond pattern and the bowl features the image of a face, two horns and central spike. It is decorated all over with very fine plant patterns, small scrolls and stars painted in gold. The nose-guard is shown in resting position but would slide down over the face in battle.
The Beautiful Warrior

This early 19th century Persian helmet depicts the face of a pre-Islamic demon or Div. In the myths recorded by the author Ferdowsi in his 10th century work Shahnameh, the great Persian hero Rostam must complete seven labours in order to rescue his king Key Kayus, held captive by the Divs (demons) of Mazandaran. The final of these labours is the location and slaying of Div-e-Sepid (the White Demon), who is king of all the Divs. As Herakles (known as Hercules to the Romans) wore the skin of the Nemean Lion after he had killed it, so Rostam wore the face of Div-e-Sepid on his helmet. As such, this helmet symbolically suggests that the owner possessed the heroic and awe-inspiring qualities of Rostam, much as lion-like helmets in later centuries spoke to Europeans of the qualities of Herakles.

The concept of heroic chivalry has a long heritage in the Islamic world. One of the early cultural achievements of the Safavid Empire in 16th century Persia was reconciling two major strands of Islamic culture. These were Sufi mysticism and Shi‘ia, the traditional veneration of ideal, heroic individuals who exhibited the qualities of nobility, self-sacrifice, purity of character, and generosity to their enemies in victory or defeat. This combination underpinned the civilised attitude to warfare that the Safavids exhibited, which in turn influenced the military ethics of later Mogul emperors.


à +

Dom

[graeme gt]

Hi Atlanta,helmet is mine.

[graeme gt]

Thanks Dom.very similar helmet.

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by graeme gt

Hi Atlanta,helmet is mine.

Hi Graeme,

Its a beauty.
Can we see the inside please?

I have to differ slightly from Dom's, write-up in a couple of ways though.

Unless I'm mistaken, the nose-guard on yours and the one in Doms picture is actually 'fixed' in the upright position and not sliding. That coupled with the relatively light gauge of the metal would suggest to me that the nose guard is more for display than protection.
Which I believe is also the purpose of this particular type of helmet.
This exact 'model' does seem to appear relatively often, and to be honest I've long admired and wanted one.
I've always assumed that they dated to the later end of the 19thC and that their form indicated either the changing trend in warfare making the helmet less important so allowing for more elaborate/less functional styles, or that they were indeed for parade/ceremonial purposes.

But hey, just my opinion, and nothing to back it up. As often happens it might at least give others something to disprove.

BTW, the condition of yours is exceptional! I am jealous.

[ward]

Helmets shields and other pieces of this nonfunctional form with this style of koftgari were made in India, not Persia. They were for the Great Exhibition in 1851 that was held in the Crystal Palace in London. There are still a lot of them in England.

[graeme gt]

Atlantia,you are correct nasal bar cant slide.

[A Senefelder]

I've seen a number of maces with this motif ( different from the bulls head maces that were made in the same region ) over the years.

[caveman]

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