Although this helmet was a serviceable military object, it was probably used as an accessory of a parade armour. Forged from watered steel and damascened in gold with talismanic inscriptions, it contains an invocation to 'Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet, and calls upon him for protection against harm and danger. The verses are distinctly Shi'i, and commonly found on objects from the Timurid through the Qajar periods in Iran and Central Asia.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
API
Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
Artwork Details
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title:Helmet with Talismanic Inscriptions
Date:18th–early 19th century
Geography:Made in Iran
Medium:Steel; damascened with gold
Dimensions:Overall helmet with chain: H. 27 1/2 in. (69.9 cm) Diam. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm) Overall with mount: Ht. 33 1/4 in. (84.5 cm) Diam. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)
Classification:Arms and Armor
Credit Line:Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Accession Number:91.1.749
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. 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.
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
The Met's collection of Islamic art is one of the most comprehensive in the world and ranges in date from the seventh to the twenty-first century. Its more than 15,000 objects reflect the great diversity and range of the cultural traditions from Spain to Indonesia.
