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A fine Safavid gold damascened steel Helmet Persia, 17th Century image 1
A fine Safavid gold damascened steel Helmet Persia, 17th Century image 2
A fine Safavid gold damascened steel Helmet Persia, 17th Century image 3
A fine Safavid gold damascened steel Helmet Persia, 17th Century image 4
Lot 168

A fine Safavid gold damascened steel Helmet
Persia, 17th Century

10 April 2008, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £60,000 inc. premium

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A fine Safavid gold damascened steel Helmet
Persia, 17th Century

of domed form surmounted by a ridged spike finial, the nose guard with a single palmette finial, the rim decorated with a band of inscription-filled cartouches, above the rim a band of vertical panels with cusped arched friezes bearing floral sprays, two slanting inscription-filled cartouches behind the plume holders, two vertical lines bearing intertwining floral vines, and two small cusped friezes with inscription on the back of the helmet, mail neck guard attached to rim
20.8 cm. diam.

Footnotes

Provenance:
Acquired in Paris, 1962.

Exhibited:
L’Art Iranien dans les Collections Belges, Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels, 10th November until 19th December 1971.
Exposition de L’Art ancien de L’Iran et son Rayonnement a Braine L’Alleud, Maison Communale, 31st August to 16th September 1973.

The inscriptions are as follows:

Around the rim: Qur'an, sura al-Baqara(II), verses 255 and most of 256; in the cartouches below the plume holders: A Persian couplet; in the two small cusped cartouches: 'Servant of the King of Trusteeship Husayn' (the legend of the seal of the Safavid ruler Sultan Husayn (AH 1105-35/ AD 1694-1722)); signed as: 'Work of Sulayman'; on a small stamp: 'Husayn'.

Helmets such as this have been used in the Islamic world since the 14th century, but most surviving pieces of this type are Qajar in origin. This is a rare example from the Safavid period. A similar piece can be found in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art The Arts of War (vol.XXI), p.137, cat.79.

Additional information