Helmet

Unknown

ca. 1515–1520 · Steel, iron, copper alloy, gold · Arms and Armor

The engraved decoration, which includes Qur'anic inscriptions, recalls that found on helmets dating to the last years of Mamluk rule, before the Ottomans conquered Egypt in 1517. The helmet is incised with the mark of the Ottoman arsenal, indicating that it was carried back to Istanbul as booty. The spike at the top, the spear-like fixture at the front, and mail are later North African additions, suggesting that the helmet was recycled for use in Sudan during the Mahdi uprising in the 1880s and 1890s.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1515–1520

Medium

Steel, iron, copper alloy, gold

Culture

Egyptian or Syrian

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935