A gold-damascened steel helmet (kulah-khud)
Persia or India, 19th Century
of domed form surmounted by a spike, decorated in gold overlay with swirling bands of foliate interlace, two terminating in inscriptions, the spike with further foliate interlace, the rim with a band of cartouches variously containing inscriptions and split-palmette and foliate scrollwork, the adjustable noseguard terminating in palmettes at each end filled with further foliate interlace, flanked by plume holders decorated en suite, the camail with steel and brass rings forming horizontal bands and lozenge designs
22 cm. diam.
Footnotes:
Provenance
The Mohammed Khalil Collection.

Published
M. K. Ibrahim, Islamic Arms and Armour, Vol. II, United Arab Emirates, 2022, pp. 912-3, Cat. No. 799.

Inscriptions: al-sultan / akbar shah-i hindi / ba-tarikh-i shahr-i / shawwal al-mukarram / sana 1 / 'amal-i fayzullah, 'The Indian sultan Akbar Shah, on the date of the month of Shawwal al-Mukarram, (regnal) year 1. The work of Fayzullah'; Persian verses.

While there is no doubt that the inscription is anachronistic, there is the possibility that some of the arms of this type were indeed made in India as well as Persia. For another example see Kjeld von Folsach et al (eds), Fighting, Hunting, Impressing: Arms and Armour from the Islamic World 1500-1850, Copenhagen, 2021, cat. no. 66). For similar pieces inscribed with some of the same verses, see ibid, cat. no. 65, and numerous helmets in the Wallace Collection, including OA1571, OA1798.
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