Antique 17h -18th century Indo-Persian Islamic Mughal Kulah-Khud Helmet

Antique 17h -18th century Islamic Indo-Persian helmet Kulah-Khud.

The helmet's hemispherical skull is formed by hand-hammering a single piece of thick, solid steel. The interior displays visible hammer marks, while the exterior surface is entirely smooth. 

The skull is adorned with a long, stout spike and affixed on the front with the moveable nasal guard flanked by two plume holders.

The entire surface of the skull is finely hand-chiseled, in low relief, with a floral pattern and six circular medallions. The border is adorned by a broad band of 12 oval and round cartouches containing Qur'anic inscriptions in the Arabic calligraphic script, "inasta'liq." The top of the helmet is adorned with a large, elaborate star.

The Khula Khud helmets have their origin in Central Asia but were extensively used in the Islamic world from the 17th to 19th centuries. These helmets were used in various regions, such as Mughal India, Persia, Central Asia, Arab countries, and the Ottoman Empire. Many of these helmets were worn by Ottoman soldiers and can now be seen displayed at the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul.

NOTE: We would like to inform our clients that the market is filled with reproductions of Indo-Persian arms and armor, including helmets, which can easily be mistaken for authentic artifacts by inexperienced collectors. We want to clarify that the Indo-Persian antique helmet that we are offering for sale is 100% authentic and dates back to the 17th - 19th century. Furthermore, it comes with a Certificate of Authenticity to ensure its genuineness.

REFERENCES:

1. Three similar helmets are in the National Museum in New Delhi collection, described as Mughal Indian and dated to the 17th century. They are published in the book "Indian Armours in the National Museum Collection Catalogue" by G.N. Pant and K.K. Sharma.

Page 46. Figure16.

Page 50. Figure 24.

Page 52. Figure 26.

2. "De Perzen, krijgers en dichters" by Mark Hoos and Francesco Civita. Catalog from the exhibition at the Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam.

Below is a link to a video from this exhibition.

https://vimeo.com/145082879\

The buyer will be provided with a copy of the pages from the mentioned references, together with a certificate of authenticity.

MEASUREMENTS:

The height from the top of the spike to the edge of the skull is 23 cm (9.06 inches).

The diameter of the oval edge of the helmet's base at its widest point is 19 cm (7.48 inches).

CONDITION: It shows its age and use. It is slightly pitted, the tubes of the plume holders are broken off, and there is no neck chain mail.

Please see all 12 pictures in the listing since they are part of the description.