Bidspirit auction | A TURKISH INSCRIBED GILT OPENWORK

A TURKISH INSCRIBED GILT OPENWORK HELMET - Turkey, Ca. Second half of 17th century AD. An inscribed helmet of domed form, terminating in an elongated element with a knop finial, featuring a short peak to the front and a series of drilled holes around the base. The body is engraved with a repeating pattern of teardrop-shaped cartouches containing stylised scrolling foliate motifs arranged in trefoils. A band of scrolling vine decoration encircles the upper section. The decoration around the rim consists of lotus blossoms and split leaf palmettes on intertwining stems. A similar foliate ornament is found on Ottoman textiles, ceramics, and metalwork of the period. For other references to Turkish helmets of this kind, please see The Art of Turkish Metalworking (Turk Maden Sanati) Fulya Bodur Published by Turk Kulturune Hizmet Vakfi, 1987.For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 36.25.126.Size: 295mm x 285mm; Weight: 1.08kgProvenance: Property of a London Islamic art specialist collector; previously in a collection formed since the 1980s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.