HORSE GENDARM OFFICER'S HELMET, model 1912, Third Republic. 27651
Helmet composed of: a bomb; a visor; a neck cover; a headband; two chinstraps; a crest; a mane; a pen holder and an interior trim.
The bomb, in one piece, made of sheet brass, is stamped with a balancer, leveled with a hammer and polished with a brush. It is pierced at the top with three suction cup holes (diameter 1.5 cm). Depth of the bomb 12.5 cm.
The visor, also made of sheet brass, is inclined at 53 degrees below a horizontal plane passing through the junction of the visor and the bomb. It is bordered by an 8 mm wide circle of silver nickel silver placed astride its edges and secured by five rivets. The underside of the visor is lined with a dark green sheepskin. Full visor width 5.4 cm.
The neck cover, also in sheet brass, concave, forming a groove, with rounded corners and welded on the inside, it has two silver nickel silver nails with half-spherical heads (diameter 8 mm) riveted on the inside. Like the visor, the neck cover is edged with an 8 mm wide silver nickel silver setting, placed astride. The underside of the neck cover is lined with brown calfskin.
The headband, in silver nickel silver, embossed with a flaming grenade surrounded by laurel leaves, adheres 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. Headband width 6.5 cm.
Each chinstrap is made up of ten silver nickel silver scales stamped and cut in the shape of a laurel leaf, which decrease in width from the top one, which is 3.5 cm, to the last one, which is only 2 cm.
These scales are fixed by wire crampons, flattened on a leather core lined with a sheepskin covered in black velvet. The right chin strap is adorned at its end with a small silver nickel silver buckle. At the end of the left one is trimmed with a black patent calfskin strap.
The upper scale of each chinstrap is stamped in relief in a single piece at its end with a circular rosette (diameter 50 mm) representing a lion's head framed by a triple baguette, the center one of which is beaded.
The bomb is topped with a copper crest composed of two fins, a silver nickel silver mask.
The fins, placed vertically at a distance from each other of 3.2 cm in front and 2.5 cm in 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 two silver nickel silver screws with a round tallow drop head which are secured inside the helmet by square copper nuts.
The fins are decorated with acanthus leaves and palmettes and a molding representing two laurel branches with a palmette in the center; 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 an anterior junction to the two fins by means of welding, is stamped with a Medusa head in relief.
A mane of brush-cut horsehair ending in a floating tail, dyed black. It is mounted on a sole made of strong nourished cowhide, in which the horsehair is assembled with tinned brass wires with a piece of sheepskin glued to the assembly with strong glue. The mane is attached to the crest by two copper screws with nuts.
H approximately 6 cm, length approximately 70 cm.
A silver nickel silver plume holder stamped and engraved with laurel leaves, H 3.5 cm, forming a socket, is attached obliquely, from bottom to top, to the bomb, a little in front of the left chin strap, by means of two threaded rods passing through the bomb.
The interior trim consists of a turban and a headdress. The turban is made of felt, in one piece, and is secured by means of two chinstrap counterplates. The black leather headdress cut into seven wolf teeth and gilded with iron on the inner edge.
France.
Third Republic.
Very good state of conservation, the gilding is absent as is almost always the case, the silver nickel silver parts have retained their silver plating, the interior cap is in very good condition.
NOTE :
Gendarmerie officer helmets are much rarer than Dragoon or Cuirassier officer helmets.
Reference :
27651