INFANTRY AND LIGHT CAVALRY TROOPER'S HELMET WITH HORSETAIL PLUME, model 1791, Revolution period (1791-1796).
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INFANTRY AND CHASSEURS À CHEVAL CHENILLE HELMET, MODEL 1791, REVOLUTION (1791-1795)
Black waxed and varnished felt helmet on the outer surface, with a depth of approximately 16 cm. At its base, a 9 mm bourdalou is formed by the leather returning from the inner liner. The band is painted canvas designed to imitate a leopard-skin pattern. It consists of a strong canvas folded in half, fastened by a lace and sewn at the base of the helmet. Height: 6.5 cm. The black leather visor is round and 5.5 cm wide. The inner liner consists of a 5 cm high leather band topped with a canvas band approximately 9 cm high. A brass band and a recreated mane have recently been added to the original helmet to give it its period look.
France.
Revolution around 1791-1795.
Good condition, brass strips and recreated chenille added later, some small accidents, left as found in 2011 in the church of a German family's castle.
PROVENANCE:
This helmet comes from a batch of identical helmets (all without chenille) found in 2011 in Wurtzbourg, Bavaria, by carpenters renovating a private chapel in a castle. They are very likely related to the Battle of Wurtzbourg on September 3, 1796, where the French army suffered 2,000 killed or wounded, and 1,000 prisoners.
NOTE:
This model was adopted by the provisional regulation on the clothing and equipment of troops from 1st April 1791 (Royal Print, 1792, 17 pages), for the French infantry. The infantry exercise regulations of August 1, 1791, confirmed the existence of this model, depicted in its plates showing infantry soldiers wearing the new chenille helmet. Plates 3, 4, and 5 depict soldiers in different exercise positions with this headgear. This helmet gradually got replaced from 1792-1793 onwards, but the existing helmets were used for a longer time due to cost-saving measures. There are a few manufacturing variations, but very few authentic specimens have survived. This specimen can be compared to the helmet in the Douais Museum, which is similar in every detail. Another authentic (complete) specimen is on display at the Empéri Museum in Salon-de-Provence, from the former collection of Raoul and Jean Brunon. Some of these helmets were made by the Delpont company, while others bear the marking "MERLE" printed on the visor.
DELPHONT:
Under the Year V of the Republic (1796-1797), the National Archives already mention "Delpont, military headwear contractor." A document dated 27 Ventôse, Year VII (March 17, 1799), concerns his activity. By the end of the Directory, he was significant enough to be listed among Parisian military suppliers. A historical study identifies him as "François Delpont, hat manufacturer and supplier," showing that he received financial support from banker Nicolas Seillière. In the early 19th century, his company was still active. After leaving Swiss service, Antoine de Jomini worked in Paris at François Delpont's factory specializing in headwear, located at 52 Rue de Grenelle, before leaving in 1803. Finally, the F. Delpont and Le Thuillier company, at 52 Rue de Grenelle, Faubourg Saint-Germain, continued the production of military headwear and equipment during the Restoration period, including the shako-helmet model 1816. An exemplary piece directly bears the mark "Delpont a Paris," along with leather helmets for the National Guard on horseback.
WURTZBOURG BATTLE HISTORY:
The Battle of Wurtzbourg took place on September 3, 1796, in Wurtzbourg, the episcopal principality of Wurtzbourg, during the War of the First Coalition. It pitted the French Sambre-et-Meuse army commanded by General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan against the Imperial Austrian army of Archduke Charles. The French attacked the Archduke's forces, but he withstood the French assaults throughout September 3 until reinforcements arrived, decisively tipping the balance in favor of the Austrians. In the summer of 1796, two French armies, commanded by Generals Jourdan and Moreau, entered southern Germany. Faced with them, Archduke Charles of Austria attempted to slow their advance with two Austrian armies led by Generals Wilhelm von Wartensleben and Maximilien Antoine de Baillet de Latour. During the Battle of Amberg on August 24, Charles overwhelmed Jourdan's troops in numbers and forced them to retreat. Jourdan made a futile counterattack at Wurtzbourg to halt his retreat. Defeated, the French general was forced to withdraw to the Rhine, compelling Moreau's army to also leave southern Germany.
The French army attacked what they thought was an isolated Austrian division under General Sztáray. Jourdan's plan was to strike Sztáray's forces with the Bernadotte and Championnet divisions, while Grenier's infantry and Bonnaud's cavalry remained in reserve. However, the early-morning mist gave Archduke Charles time to send General Hotze's division in support, neutralizing the French numerical advantage. The odds were further stacked against Jourdan as he was missing a significant portion of his forces, with Lefebvre's division engaged to the north by the Austrian Elsnitz division. The situation worsened when the remainder of the Archduke's army crossed the Main on pontoon bridges erected by the Austrian sappers. French attacks on the Austrian positions were repelled until the arrival of Austrian divisions Kray and Wartensleben, pushing the French off the battlefield.
The French army lost 2,000 killed or wounded, 1,000 prisoners, and 7 cannons. Austrian losses were half as many: 1,200 casualties and 300 prisoners. Jourdan's defeat at Wurtzbourg ultimately led to the failure of the 1796 campaign in southern Germany. Charles pursued the defeated French forces and outflanked Jourdan's army from the south, preventing him from receiving support from Moreau, who was also operating in southern Germany. On September 7, the Archduke forced the French to lift the siege of Mainz. Around the 16th, the belligerents met at the Lahn River, where the 11,000 men of Austrian General Kray defeated Jourdan's 15,000 French at Limburg an der Lahn. Following this defeat, Jourdan retreated to Düsseldorf before crossing the Rhine.
French Order of Battle
-Sambre-et-Meuse Army: Major General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, Commander-in-Chief — 25,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, 11 artillery batteries
• 1st Division: Major General François Joseph Lefebvre
• 2nd Division: Major General Paul Grenier
• 3rd Division: Major General Jean-Étienne Championnet
• 4th Division: Major General Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
• Cavalry Reserve: Major General Jacques Philippe Bonnaud
Austrian Order of Battle
-Lower Rhine Army: Field Marshal Archduke Charles-Louis of Austria-Teschen, Commander-in-Chief — 30,000 men
• 1st Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Friedrich von Hotze
- Mixed Brigade: Major General Michael Kienmayer
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Johann von Hiller
- Cavalry Brigade: Colonel Anton Canisius
• 2nd Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton Sztáray
- Mixed Brigade: Major General Jean de Liechtenstein
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Eugen Montfrault
- Bavarian Infantry Brigade: Major General Bartels
- Grenadier Brigade: Major General Konrad Valentin von Kaim
• 3rd Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Johann von Riesch
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Prince Alexander of Württemberg
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Joseph Spiegelberg
• 4th Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Pál Kray
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Frederick Louis of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Karl Joseph Hadik von Futak
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Franz Sebottendorf
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Prince Frederick of Orange
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Joseph Staader
• Reserve: Quartermaster General Wilhelm von Wartensleben
- Grenadier Brigade: Major General Johann Kollowrat
- Grenadier Brigade: Major General Joseph von Schellenberg
- Grenadier Brigade: Major General Ludwig von Vogelsang
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Franz Seraph von Rosenberg-Orsini
- Cavalry Brigade: Lieutenant Field Marshal Charles-Eugène de Lorraine de Lambesc
Black waxed and varnished felt helmet on the outer surface, with a depth of approximately 16 cm. At its base, a 9 mm bourdalou is formed by the leather returning from the inner liner. The band is painted canvas designed to imitate a leopard-skin pattern. It consists of a strong canvas folded in half, fastened by a lace and sewn at the base of the helmet. Height: 6.5 cm. The black leather visor is round and 5.5 cm wide. The inner liner consists of a 5 cm high leather band topped with a canvas band approximately 9 cm high. A brass band and a recreated mane have recently been added to the original helmet to give it its period look.
France.
Revolution around 1791-1795.
Good condition, brass strips and recreated chenille added later, some small accidents, left as found in 2011 in the church of a German family's castle.
PROVENANCE:
This helmet comes from a batch of identical helmets (all without chenille) found in 2011 in Wurtzbourg, Bavaria, by carpenters renovating a private chapel in a castle. They are very likely related to the Battle of Wurtzbourg on September 3, 1796, where the French army suffered 2,000 killed or wounded, and 1,000 prisoners.
NOTE:
This model was adopted by the provisional regulation on the clothing and equipment of troops from 1st April 1791 (Royal Print, 1792, 17 pages), for the French infantry. The infantry exercise regulations of August 1, 1791, confirmed the existence of this model, depicted in its plates showing infantry soldiers wearing the new chenille helmet. Plates 3, 4, and 5 depict soldiers in different exercise positions with this headgear. This helmet gradually got replaced from 1792-1793 onwards, but the existing helmets were used for a longer time due to cost-saving measures. There are a few manufacturing variations, but very few authentic specimens have survived. This specimen can be compared to the helmet in the Douais Museum, which is similar in every detail. Another authentic (complete) specimen is on display at the Empéri Museum in Salon-de-Provence, from the former collection of Raoul and Jean Brunon. Some of these helmets were made by the Delpont company, while others bear the marking "MERLE" printed on the visor.
DELPHONT:
Under the Year V of the Republic (1796-1797), the National Archives already mention "Delpont, military headwear contractor." A document dated 27 Ventôse, Year VII (March 17, 1799), concerns his activity. By the end of the Directory, he was significant enough to be listed among Parisian military suppliers. A historical study identifies him as "François Delpont, hat manufacturer and supplier," showing that he received financial support from banker Nicolas Seillière. In the early 19th century, his company was still active. After leaving Swiss service, Antoine de Jomini worked in Paris at François Delpont's factory specializing in headwear, located at 52 Rue de Grenelle, before leaving in 1803. Finally, the F. Delpont and Le Thuillier company, at 52 Rue de Grenelle, Faubourg Saint-Germain, continued the production of military headwear and equipment during the Restoration period, including the shako-helmet model 1816. An exemplary piece directly bears the mark "Delpont a Paris," along with leather helmets for the National Guard on horseback.
WURTZBOURG BATTLE HISTORY:
The Battle of Wurtzbourg took place on September 3, 1796, in Wurtzbourg, the episcopal principality of Wurtzbourg, during the War of the First Coalition. It pitted the French Sambre-et-Meuse army commanded by General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan against the Imperial Austrian army of Archduke Charles. The French attacked the Archduke's forces, but he withstood the French assaults throughout September 3 until reinforcements arrived, decisively tipping the balance in favor of the Austrians. In the summer of 1796, two French armies, commanded by Generals Jourdan and Moreau, entered southern Germany. Faced with them, Archduke Charles of Austria attempted to slow their advance with two Austrian armies led by Generals Wilhelm von Wartensleben and Maximilien Antoine de Baillet de Latour. During the Battle of Amberg on August 24, Charles overwhelmed Jourdan's troops in numbers and forced them to retreat. Jourdan made a futile counterattack at Wurtzbourg to halt his retreat. Defeated, the French general was forced to withdraw to the Rhine, compelling Moreau's army to also leave southern Germany.
The French army attacked what they thought was an isolated Austrian division under General Sztáray. Jourdan's plan was to strike Sztáray's forces with the Bernadotte and Championnet divisions, while Grenier's infantry and Bonnaud's cavalry remained in reserve. However, the early-morning mist gave Archduke Charles time to send General Hotze's division in support, neutralizing the French numerical advantage. The odds were further stacked against Jourdan as he was missing a significant portion of his forces, with Lefebvre's division engaged to the north by the Austrian Elsnitz division. The situation worsened when the remainder of the Archduke's army crossed the Main on pontoon bridges erected by the Austrian sappers. French attacks on the Austrian positions were repelled until the arrival of Austrian divisions Kray and Wartensleben, pushing the French off the battlefield.
The French army lost 2,000 killed or wounded, 1,000 prisoners, and 7 cannons. Austrian losses were half as many: 1,200 casualties and 300 prisoners. Jourdan's defeat at Wurtzbourg ultimately led to the failure of the 1796 campaign in southern Germany. Charles pursued the defeated French forces and outflanked Jourdan's army from the south, preventing him from receiving support from Moreau, who was also operating in southern Germany. On September 7, the Archduke forced the French to lift the siege of Mainz. Around the 16th, the belligerents met at the Lahn River, where the 11,000 men of Austrian General Kray defeated Jourdan's 15,000 French at Limburg an der Lahn. Following this defeat, Jourdan retreated to Düsseldorf before crossing the Rhine.
French Order of Battle
-Sambre-et-Meuse Army: Major General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, Commander-in-Chief — 25,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, 11 artillery batteries
• 1st Division: Major General François Joseph Lefebvre
• 2nd Division: Major General Paul Grenier
• 3rd Division: Major General Jean-Étienne Championnet
• 4th Division: Major General Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
• Cavalry Reserve: Major General Jacques Philippe Bonnaud
Austrian Order of Battle
-Lower Rhine Army: Field Marshal Archduke Charles-Louis of Austria-Teschen, Commander-in-Chief — 30,000 men
• 1st Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Friedrich von Hotze
- Mixed Brigade: Major General Michael Kienmayer
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Johann von Hiller
- Cavalry Brigade: Colonel Anton Canisius
• 2nd Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton Sztáray
- Mixed Brigade: Major General Jean de Liechtenstein
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Eugen Montfrault
- Bavarian Infantry Brigade: Major General Bartels
- Grenadier Brigade: Major General Konrad Valentin von Kaim
• 3rd Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Johann von Riesch
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Prince Alexander of Württemberg
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Joseph Spiegelberg
• 4th Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Pál Kray
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Frederick Louis of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Karl Joseph Hadik von Futak
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Franz Sebottendorf
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Prince Frederick of Orange
- Infantry Brigade: Major General Joseph Staader
• Reserve: Quartermaster General Wilhelm von Wartensleben
- Grenadier Brigade: Major General Johann Kollowrat
- Grenadier Brigade: Major General Joseph von Schellenberg
- Grenadier Brigade: Major General Ludwig von Vogelsang
- Cavalry Brigade: Major General Franz Seraph von Rosenberg-Orsini
- Cavalry Brigade: Lieutenant Field Marshal Charles-Eugène de Lorraine de Lambesc
Reference :
17843
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Only items sold by me are subject to an authenticity certificate, I do not provide any expert reports for items sold by third parties (colleagues or collectors).
Next update Friday, august 14 at 13:30 PM
FOR ALL PURCHASES, PAYMENT IN MULTIPLE CHECKS POSSIBLE
bertrand.malvaux@wanadoo.fr 06 07 75 74 63
An authenticity certificate of the item including the description published on the site, the period, the sale price, accompanied by one or more color photographs is automatically provided for any item priced over 130 euros. Below this price, each certificate is charged 5 euros.
Only items sold by me are subject to an authenticity certificate, I do not provide any expert reports for items sold by third parties (colleagues or collectors).