Helmet - Maybe a Womans Persian Headwear?

[chperry]

Sorry for the repost but it didnt accept this pics due to size the first time and then said I posted already. I received this from an elderly middle eastern womans estate. It is bronze or brass and it looks like it is worn on the head. It fits my wife, it measure 12 inches long by 7 inches wide. Has some leaves and other engravings on the outside and the inside is smooth. It is not machined and looks hand made from the hammer dimples, have no idea what it is, any assistance would be appreciated.

 

[falcolnx]

May help to see how it fits. Depending how far down the neck it comes it may protect against calvary lopping off the head from behind. Can't really tell if its decorative or made to use.
How stout is the steel? Can you find any makers mark or tell if its modern alloy?

 

[chperry]

its not modern alloy...it is fairly thick & heavy not sure of the measurement. where would I look for mark? i didnt see any. not sure if the long slender part goes over the nose or the back of the head. it ends short of the neck one way and at the bottom of the nose on thee other. it is worn on one side where it looks like it was handled where the etching is almost flush

 

[CRUSADER]

it reminds me of a spoon rest for large serving spoons to stop gravy drips etc

http://www.ioffer.com/i/antique-old-silver-plate-spoon-holder-tray-england-bowl-152349420
this 'kinda' thing

 

[trikikiwi]

I'm moved towards Crusader's assumption.
I have Persian mates and I don't think it would suit them at all

Mike

 

[Woodland Detectors]

I agree with my two colleagues above.
I could not for the life of me see how this would be worn as a "helmet'

Or why.

Tell me, Did you really make your wife put that on her head?

They would do any thing for us!

 

[Got_4by4]

Excuse me but I don't think that this one should be marked solved!!!

I see NO irrefutable proof that this is indeed a grave boat!

This deserves, AT THE VERY LEAST, the same due diligence as the
"Korean Jacks found at a football field"! In that case, even after it
became fairly obvious, people demanded that an exact match be found.

Now I don't want this thread to go on like that one but I need more
close up pictures of the engravings to see if they were placed by hand
or machine. I need to see the areas where the legs are OBVIOUSLY
missing. AND, the symmetry is only side to side(or top to bottom if you
prefer), where is the handle? Wouldn't the gravy be hot? The one end
is narrow and straight, but the other end with the lip is wider. Surely to
cover more potatoes at the same time, is it not?

No, my friends this debate is FAR FAR from OVER!!! We must get to the
bottom of it and secure the absolute truth!!!

In MY humble opinion, it might be a decorative kneecap to an medieval
set of armour. I do recall seeing that on Persian kings!

So, let the debate continue! IT IS NOT SOLVED

 

[Got_4by4]

Or perhaps a helmet for the horse? It seems that they were armored too!

 

[Marc(NB)]

maybe a fancy bed pan

 

[chperry]

I just added more detailed pictures and re-opened the post. Thanks again for the assistance. CHRIS

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Nice and shiny. Looks cast to me. I think I see scratches were it was polished. Could it be a chariot fender?

 

[chperry]

It is hard to see in the pic but the hammer marks cover the entire piece parrelel to the top and the etching is imperfect/erratic on each side, the metal is thinner in spots and each side isnt routine...I think the cast would have been more "perfect"

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Looking at the leaves make me think its cast not etched/engraved. Its definitely "erratic" like the casting didnt take well in places. Looks like tiny air bubbles. Whoever aggressively polished this item made a mistake, if its old.

I used to work at a sign place. I could be wrong but it looks like the cast brass items we would make. Then we would file off the rough edges and aggressively polish it on a buffing machine with compound. The leaves looked just like this. If we buffed to much, the leaves would come right off in spots.

 

[NHBandit]

Don't want to bust anyones bubble but the first reaction I had was that it has the distinct look of modern cast brass tourist junk made in Pakistan & India. Just my 2 cents worth. What it's supposed to be, I have no clue The good news is that the scrap price of brass is way up these days. I have a friend who scours the flea markets & yard sales buying up all the 50 cent & $1 brass doodads he can find and when he has a big pile of stuff he heads off to the scrap metal yard.

 

[randazzo1]

I think its pretty cool, but agree with others that its probably not a helmet.

If it is a peice of armour - their would have to be a way to attach it to one's body. I don't see any holes where a wood or leather insert could have been attached that would then have been tied to the body or other armour.


But - it could be a representation of a helmet that was used on a statue or possibly as a costume.

And it does look fairly old.

randazzo1