SHAKO OF THE 119th REGIMENT OF LINE INFANTRY VOLTIGEURS, 1812 type, First Empire. 30240

SHAKO OF THE 119th LINE INFANTRY VOLTIGEUR REGIMENT, Type 1812, First Empire. 30240

Body made of black felt, 19.5 cm in height. Crown made of very strong waxed cowhide leather, with a diameter of 24.5 cm folded over the felt to a height of 4 cm. At the bottom of the felt, a leather braiding of 2.3 cm width is sewn, with a brass buckle at the back and its brass prong, buckle height 2.6 cm, width 2.4 cm. Beneath this buckle, a simple calf leather trim to facilitate the adjustment of the braiding. A rounded leather visor made of strong varnished cowhide leather stitched in front of the shako, 6 cm in width.
Embossed brass plate (or badge) affixed to the front, depicting a crowned imperial eagle grasping Jupiter's thunderbolt on a shield-shaped base with a hunting horn and the number "119" in the center, surrounded by a circular motif similar to the uniform buttons design, framed by two lion heads with laurel branches and studded lower molding, height 12 cm, width 12 cm.
Tricolor painted leather cockade placed above the plate fixed to the shako using clips on each side. Diameter 6.5 cm. White outer circle, with red and blue at the center.
Below the cockade, a loop for the plume attached by a stitch on the shako.
Chinstraps. On each side of the shako, there is a chinstrap made of a double basane leather strap, with 15 brass scales alternately cut in two or three scallops, with a circular fifteenth scale at the end. The first scale is 3.5 cm wide, the second slightly less, decreasing in width until the last which is 1.9 cm wide. Each scale is secured with a flat wire. The chinstrap is fastened by a rosette, referred to in the 1812 regulations as a "large button" made of the same metal as the chinstrap, with a diameter of 4 cm and stamped with a hunting horn in the center. Each chinstrap is finished with a small fabric cord.
Above the cockade, a round green woolen pompon, 7 cm in diameter.
Interior hat made of black basane leather, 6 cm high, topped with a thick ecru canvas.

France.
First Empire.
Good condition, some moth holes in the felt, the part of the crown folded over the shako shows holes on each side that were originally used to attach a "racquet" cord, the interior hat has some damage to the leather part and some repairs and losses to the canvas.

HISTORY:
The 119th Infantry Regiment (119th IR) is a French Army infantry regiment created by the First Consul from two provisional regiments of the Spanish army by decree on July 7, 1808: the 13th and 14th provisional infantry regiments, created on January 12, 1808 for the war in Spain.
It was disbanded in Bayonne in 1814.
From 1808 to 1813, it was deployed in Spain, participating in the battles of Medina del Rio Seco, Burgos, Saragosse, Santander in 1809, Quintanilla in 1811, Salamanca in 1812, Vittoria and La Bidasoa in 1813. In 1814, it took part in the defense of Bayonne and the battles of Orthez and Toulouse.