OFFICER'S HELMET OF THE CUIRASSIERS, model 1872 modified 1874, Third Republic. 27769

OFFICER'S HELMET OF THE CUIRASSIERS, model 1872 modified 1874, Third Republic. 27769

Comprising a dome; a visor; a neck guard; a copper headband; two chin scales; a crest; a mane; a plume holder; a crest ornament, and an interior lining.
Dome embossed with a pendulum, in nickel-plated copper planed with a hammer. Pierced at the top with three suction holes.
Visor inclined at 53 degrees below a horizontal plane passing through the junction of the visor and the dome. Edged with a 7.6 mm wide gilded copper circle placed astride its edges and fixed at the ends by a rivet. Underside of the visor lined with green waxed leather. Visor width 5 cm. Neck guard composed of: a circular band on its flat side, welded under the posterior edge of the band it extends, with three gilded brass nails with half-spherical heads riveted inside; a second concave band, forming a throat, with rounded corners welded inside, at the bottom of the first. Like the visor, the neck guard is edged with a 7 mm wide gilded copper setting, placed astride. It is lined with ivory leather.
Headband, in gilded copper, stamped with a flaming grenade surrounded by laurel leaves, adherent to the dome. Its base rests on the visor and its ends are riveted to the dome in the part concealed by the chin scale rosette. Headband height at the front 6.5 cm.
Each chin scale is made up of 9 embossed copper ornament leaves, in relief of laurel leaves, decreasing in width (max width 4.2 cm, min width 2 cm). These scales are secured with flattened wire staples on a core of black velvet-lined leather. At the other end, black varnished calfskin chin strap (replaced). The top scale of each chin strap is finished with a rounded part stamped with a circular rosette featuring relief laurel leaves (rosette diameter 5.3 cm) and attached to the dome with a screw. The dome is topped with a gilded copper crest composed of two fins, a mask, and a covering. The fins, vertically positioned 3.2 cm apart at the front and 2.5 cm at the back, have a convex curvilinear triangular shape at their upper part and blend into the dome with a concave base forming a scalloped edge. This edge is secured to the dome with 4 round-headed copper screws fixed inside the helmet by square copper nuts. The fins are adorned with palmettes and a border net on their upper edge; the edge is adorned with water leaves, all embossed in relief. A tin plate connects the upper edges of the fins, fixing their spacing. The mask serving as the anterior junction of the two fins by means of a weld, is embossed with a relief head of Medusa. The covering, also embossed, represents the continuation of the hair of the head of Medusa with intertwined snakes. Crest ornament composed of a 2.4 cm high socket, diameter 4.6 cm, embossed with relief water leaves and a 2.5 cm high, 1.9 cm diameter lens, formed by two embossed shells. Attached to the front of the crest and supporting a scarlet horsehair tassel (height 4.6 cm).
Mane of black-dyed horsehair, mounted on a thick nourished cowhide sole, in which the hairs are assembled with tinned brass threads with a piece of leather glued with strong glue on the assembly; the empty space between the two rows of hairs is filled with a braid that starts from the top and follows the curve of the crest to its junction with the dome. Mane length approximately 70 cm.
Plume holder in embossed copper, height 3.5 cm, forming a square section socket, fixed obliquely.
Black waxed leather interior lining, cut with seven wolf teeth each fitted with a metal eyelet, gold-embossed edges.

France.
Third Republic.
Very good condition, crest reattached further forward on the dome which has been re-drilled for the occasion, however, the helmet is very consistent.