DRAGOON TROOP HELMET, First Empire Style, manufactured in the late 19th century. Item number 32605.

TROOP DRAGOON HELMET, First Empire Style, Late 19th Century Manufacturing. 32605

The brass skullcap (also known as the dome) is round in shape and measures approximately 10 cm in depth; the bottom is equipped with a gutter in the form of a flat, outward-folded band of 5 mm wide to prevent water infiltration under the turban.
The turban consists of a leather band approximately 9.5 cm high at the front, 7.5 cm on the sides, and 8 cm at the back. It is covered with a skin of marine seal. At the bottom of the turban at the back, an iron buckle attached to a leather strap allows for adjustment and tightening using a counter-strap.
The visor is made of black waxed leather sewn at the bottom to the turban, surrounded by a brass band folded over the outer edge (apparent width 8 mm), measuring 5 cm in the center.
The chinstraps are composed of two parts: the soft leather chin strap is covered with 13 brass scales, each cut into three scallops; the rosette is made of stamped brass in the shape of a palmette, with a diameter of 5.5 cm.
The plume holder is made of brass in a tubular shape decreasing towards the base, 5 cm in height, with a screw at the top for tightening.
The crest is made of brass with embossed decorations: the wings have a maximum height of 9.5 cm, each marked with 13 rows; the mask is 12 cm in height, 4.2 cm wide, featuring a head of Medusa at the top and a palmette at the bottom.
The aigrette holder, reconstructed, is made up of a wooden lens covered with black hairs tightly bound above, which blossom into a tuft. Total height 10 cm. Black horsehair mane. Length approximately 76 cm. Plain brass covering plate. The base of the rear mane is sewn to a strap attached to a counter-strap with a steel buckle, and sewn to the back of the band.
Interior liner composed of a black varnished leather turban topped with an ecru canvas band.

France.
First Empire Style, Late 19th Century Manufacturing.
Very good condition.

Note:
Authors of books often use the terms Gorgon or Medusa interchangeably to refer to the upper figure on the crest mask.
Although in graphic representation no distinction can be made between these two monsters - a monstrous face with a hairstyle made up of snakes and hair – the term Medusa should be retained.
Indeed, all contemporary texts mention this decoration as "head of Medusa."
In Greek mythology, Gorgons are malicious, fantastic creatures of such hideousness that anyone who dares to gaze directly at them may turn into stone. According to Hesiod, they were the three daughters of the marine deities Phorcys and Ceto: Stheno, Euryale, and the most famous, Medusa, who was mortal, unlike her two sisters who were immortal and ageless.