CENTRAL ASIA, LATE 14TH CENTURY

Details

A TIMURID SILVER DAMASCENED STEEL HELMET
CENTRAL ASIA, LATE 14TH CENTURY
Of high curved rounded form rising to an upper point, damascened in silver wire around the base with a narrow band of stylised inscription cartouches, similar damascened panels around the point, surface rubbed, traces or corrosion
14in. (35.5cm.) high

Special notice

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Lot Essay

This helmet was found, together with Timurid coins minted in Iran of the period 1380-5, in the Talas valley in Kirgizistan. This is therefore an early example of a type of helmet that was used throughout the 15th century.
Helmets of this type are very rare. They may be seen in the miniature paintings of the period, but few actual examples have survived. A similar example is in the Military Museum in Istanbul, (Russell Robinson, H.: Oriental Armour, London, 1967, p.32, fig,C)
Another example of elegant facetted form is in the David Collection, Copenhagen, (von Folsach, K.ed.: Sultan, Shah and Great Mughal, Copenhagen, 1996, no.156, p.193).

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