‡ A PERSIAN HELMET (KULAH-KHUD) AND ARM DEFENCE... Lot 39

‡ A PERSIAN HELMET (KULAH-KHUD) AND ARM DEFENCE (BAZU BAND), QAJAR, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY the first with hemispherical skull formed as a devil's mask, the front embossed with a nose with an engraved bushy moustache, a pair of eyes highlighted in gold koftgari and fitted with a pair of decorated horns at the top, the apex fitted with a sharply tapering spike on a moulded base, on each side at the front with a pair of tubular plume-holders with a staple between, the latter retaining a sliding nasal-bar secured by a thumb-screw, the base of the skull encircled with a series of inscriptions in gold koftgari frames, and mail neck-defence of butted iron and brass links; and the second of gutter-shaped form, pointed at the elbow, retaining its wrist-plates joined by mail of butted links, engraved and with gold koftgari en suite 34.0 cm; 13 3/8 in high, the kulah khud 38.0 cm; 15 in the bazu band (2) The cartouches on the helmet contain Persian verses mentioning heroes from the Shahnama (including Dara, Iskandar, Rustam, Bahram). A number of similarly decorated helmets are preserved in the Royal Collection and the Royal Armouries, Leeds.