A gold damascened watered steel helmet (khula-khud) Persia, 18th Century


of tall domed form surmounted by spike, engraved with a series of vertical panels and lozenge shaped cartouches around the rim, the adjustable noseguard terminating in palmettes at each end, with three plume holders, decorated in gold damascene with inscription-filled cartouches to the noseguard finials and plume holders, with mail neckguard 20.5 cm. diam.
|ProvenanceJacques Desenfans (1920-1999), acquired in 1979.Bonhams, The Jacques Desenfans Collection, London, 10 April 2008, lot 163.Inscriptions: the bismallah, invocations to God, Qur'an, sura al-Saff (LXI), parts of verse 13, and sura al-Fath (XLVIII), verse 1.