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Source Description
Mughal soldiers wore hemispherical steel helmets to battle. This helmet’s surface features decorative floral patterns created using a process called damascening, in which gold wire was hammered into steel grooves. A leaf-shaped guard slides down in front of the nose for protection. The short tubes on either side of the nasal guard were for holding plumes, most popularly black heron feathers or white aigrettes. The spike that would have been on the apex has broken off. Also missing is the stuffed cotton padding that lined the interior. Chain mail made up of interlocking steel wire rings protected the ears, neck, and shoulders.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
100101
label
Helmet
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
100101
contentType
object
title
Helmet
description
Mughal soldiers wore hemispherical steel helmets to battle. This helmet’s surface features decorative floral patterns created using a process called damascening, in which gold wire was hammered into steel grooves. A leaf-shaped guard slides down in front of the nose for protection. The short tubes on either side of the nasal guard were for holding plumes, most popularly black heron feathers or white aigrettes. The spike that would have been on the apex has broken off. Also missing is the stuffed cotton padding that lined the interior. Chain mail made up of interlocking steel wire rings protected the ears, neck, and shoulders.
date
1600s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60743819
genreSpecific
Arms and Armor
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 9.6 cm (3 3/4 in.); Diameter: 20.7 cm (8 1/8 in.)
cul
North India
accession
1919.62
Source extras
tec
steel with gold and brass
tombstone
Helmet, 1600s. North India. Steel with gold and brass; overall: 9.6 cm (3 3/4 in.); diameter: 20.7 cm (8 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1919.62
collection
Indian Art
citations
citation
American Art Association, New York. <em>Ancient Arms and Weapons and Accoutrements. Theodore Offerman Collection</em>. 7–8 February 1919.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: lot no. 300
citation
Gilchrist, Helen Ives. <em>A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923</em>. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 56, B43
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:25:10.225000
sourceId
100101
dept
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
coll
Indian Art
med
steel with gold and brass
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
418775b19d409397