Cavalry Helmet (Zischägge), ca. 1630–40
German
Steel, gold, brass, leather, textile
German
Steel, gold, brass, leather, textile
Wt. 4 lb. 2 oz. (1880 g)
Ex coll.: William H. Riggs, Paris
Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913 (14.25.611)
The term Zischägge refers to a distinctive type of seventeenth-century helmet consisting of a hemispherical bowl, a brim with sliding nosepiece (nasal), cheekpieces, and a long laminated tail over the back of the neck. The German word is a corruption of the Turkish chichak, which refers to a similar helmet used throughout much of the Ottoman world.
Unlike most Zischägge, which were relatively simple, this example has a finely fluted and ribbed bowl with a baluster finial at the top, and surfaces that are blued and gilt. It also has its original leather lining in the bowl, brim, tail, and cheekpieces.
