CUIRASSIERS OFFICER HELMET, model 1872, modified 1874, Third Republic. 26379

CUIRASSIERS OFFICER HELMET, model 1872, modified 1874, Third Republic. 26379

Consisting of a bomb; a visor; a neck cover; a copper headband; two chinstraps; a crest; a mane; a pen holder; a crest ornament and interior trim.
Bomb stamped with a pendulum, in nickel-plated copper planed with a hammer. Pierced at the top of three suction cup holes.
Visor inclined at 53 degrees below a horizontal plane passing through the junction of the visor and the bomb. Bordered with a 7.6 mm wide gilded copper circle placed astride its edges and fixed at the ends with a rivet. Under visor covered in green leather. Visor width 5 cm.
Neck cover composed of: a circular strip on its flat, welded under the rear edge of the strip which it extends, it has three gilded brass nails with half-spherical heads riveted on the inside; a second concave strip, forming a groove, with rounded corners welded on the inside, at the bottom of the first. Like the visor, the neck cover is bordered with a 7 mm wide gilded copper setting, placed on horseback. It is lined with black waxed leather.
Headband, in gilded copper, stamped with a flaming grenade surrounded by laurel leaves, it is attached to the bomb. Its base rests on the visor and its ends are riveted to the bomb in the part hidden by the rosette of the chin strap. H from headband to front 6.5 cm.
Each chin strap is made up of 9 cut-out copper ornamental leaves, stamped in relief with laurel leaves, which decrease in width (maximum width 4.2 cm, minimum width 2 cm). These scales are fixed by wire crampons, flattened on a leather core lined with black velvet. At the other end girth in black patent calfskin (replaced). The upper scale of each chinstrap is finished with a rounded part stamped with a circular rosette depicting laurel leaves in relief (diameter of the rosette 5.3 cm) and fixed to the bomb by a screw.
The bomb is topped with a gilded copper crest composed of two fins, a mask and a covering.
The fins, placed vertically at a distance from each other of 3.2 cm in front and 2.5 cm in the back, have the shape of a curvilinear triangle convex at its upper part and which connects with the bomb by its concave base forming a scalloped rim.
This rim is attached to the bomb by means of 4 copper screws with a round tallow drop head which are secured inside the helmet by square copper nuts.
The fins are decorated with palmettes and a net at their upper edge; the rim is decorated with water leaves, all stamped in relief.
A tin-plated sheet metal plate joins the upper edges of the fins, fixing their spacing.
The mask serving as the anterior junction of the two fins by means of welding, is stamped with a Medusa head in relief. The covering, also stamped, represents the continuation of the hair of Medusa's head with intertwined serpents.
Crest ornament composed of a socket 2.4 cm high, diameter 4.6 cm, stamped with water leaves in relief and a lens 2.5 high and 1.9 cm in diameter, shaped of two stamped shells. Attached to the front of the crest and supporting a red tuft of horsehair (H 4.6 cm).
Mane of black-tinted horsehair, mounted on a sole of strong nourished cowhide, in which the horsehair is assembled by tinned brass wires with a piece of sheepskin glued to the assembly with strong glue; the space left empty between the two rows of horsehair is filled by a braid which starts from the top and follows the curve of the crest until its junction with the bomb. Mane length 80 cm.
Stamped copper feather holder, height 3.5 cm, forming a square section socket, fixed obliquely.
Interior trim in lustrous brown leather, cut with seven wolf teeth, each decorated with a metal eyelet.

France.
Third Republic.
Good condition, the bomb with some oxidation stains, slight dent on the visor, small dent on the top of the crest, gilding largely absent.