



A fine Safavid gold damascened steel Helmet Persia, 17th Century
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Find your local specialistA fine Safavid gold damascened steel Helmet
Persia, 17th Century
Persia, 17th Century
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.