19th century AD. An engraved steel helmet, the surface of the skull decorated with carved flowers and foliage, two inward hollow horns flanking the central devil's head-shaped mount, the front of the helmet with an impressive stylised feline face, two plume holders, the nose guard with lobed extensions at both the extremities; to the front of the helmet and around the rim fastening holes for the chainmail protection; the rim decorated with inscriptions from Qur'an; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. Cf. for similar Indian Khula Khuds see The Wallace Collection, London, The National Museum, New Delhi, and The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, see accession number 3421:1 to:4/(IS) (Helmet, Lahore, early 19th century); for similar Iranian model see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 96.5.125; for kolakhud helmets cf. Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, items 407ff and pp.284ff. 2.2 kg total, 65.5cm including stand (25 3/4"). Property of a Harwich, UK, lady; previously with an Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK, gentleman; formerly in an old English collection. The kulah khud (Indian term) or Kolahkhud (Iranian term) is the name of a type of helmet used by the Persians, Indians and the Ottoman Empire, consisting of a one-piece metal bowl from which hung a coat of iron mail protecting the back and sides of the skull. This helmet, with its feline face and horns, features imagery inspired by Iran’s national epic, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), i.e. the tiger-skin headdress and the horned ox-headed mace that were the distinguishing arms of the hero Rustam. The top of the helmet, originally fitted with a sharpened point, was substituted with a mace head with a demon’s face (Gorz), to frighten the enemies. Holes were made in the devil's mouth and nose to facilitate a whistling noise, believed to have a nearly hypnotic or frightening effect on the opponent.