Helmet with Talismanic Inscriptions

Helmet

From the late seventeenth century onward, Iranian helmets were characterized by a hemispherical bowl surmounted by a spike and attached to a long sheet of chain mail.[1] The upper half of the richly textured example here is chiseled with cartouches containing Arabic inscriptions that are largely Qur’anic verses or Shi’ite prayers such as the Nad-i ‘Aliyyan, which seeks Imam 'Ali’s help in comforting and protecting the wearer in times of peril. The choice of Qur’anic verses is deliberate: they were intended to shower the warrior with divine blessings and safeguards. The slogan "with the help of Allah victory is near" (Qur’an 61:13), repeated several times on the helmet, calls for God’s help in empowering the warrior to achieve victory. On the nasal guard and the two plume-holders, complementary gold-damascened designs appear as bands of inscriptions or areas of scrolling vegetation. The finials of the nasal guard are inscribed with the bismallah (Arabic for "in the name of Allah") as well as with the previously cited slogan. The strategic placement of these inscriptions on an element meant to protect the warrior’s nose points to the potency of the talismanic writing on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Iranian arms and armor.

Although the provenance of this helmet is currently unknown, Moore donated it along with a handful of Islamic weapons and arms of recent manufacture to the Museum in 1891. His bequest coincided with the appearance on the market of quantities of European and Islamic militaria and a growing interest in arms and armor among New York collectors.[2] As a silversmith and designer, he clearly would have admired the helmet’s refined craftsmanship and gold-damascened decorative motifs and inscriptions.

Maryam Ekhtiar in [Higgins Harvey 2021]

Footnotes:

1. Alexander, David G. Islamic Arms and Armor in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With contributions by Stuart W. Pyhrr and Wil Kwiatkowski. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015, pp. 116–18, no. 42.

2. Pyhrr, Stuart W. "American Collectors and the Formation of the Metropolitan Museum’s Collection of Islamic Arms and Armor." In Alexander 2015 (see note 1), pp. 5–6.

Edward C. Moore (American), New York (until d. 1891; bequeathed to MMA)

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "A King's Book of Kings: Persian Miniatures from Shah Tahmasp's Shahnama of 1528," May 4–December 31, 1972, no catalog.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Gold," April 14–September 9, 1973, no catalogue.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Balcony Calligraphy Exhibition," June 1–October 26, 2009, no catalogue.

Indianapolis, IN. Indianapolis Museum of Art. "Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture," November 2, 2012–January 13, 2013, p. 209.

Newark, NJ. Newark Museum. "Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture," February 13, 2013–May 16, 2013, p. 209.

Portland, ME. Portland Museum of Art. "Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture," June 15, 2013–September 8, 2013, p. 209.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield," August 29, 2016–February 13, 2017, no catalogue.

Dimand, Maurice S. A Handbook of Mohammedan Decorative Arts. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1930. p. 122.

"Gold." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin vol. 31, no. 2 (Winter 1972/1973). pp. 69–121.

Al Khemir Sabiha Dr. "Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture." In Beauty and Belief. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, 2012. p. 209, ill.

Alexander, David G., and Stuart W. Pyhrr. "in the Metropolitan Museum of Art." In Islamic Arms and Armor. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015. no. 42, pp. 116–18, ill.

Beyazit, Deniz, Maryam Ekhtiar, and Sheila R. Canby. Collecting Inspiration : Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co., edited by Medill Higgins Harvey. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2021. no. 117, pp. 182–83, ill.