Helmet (Top)

In terms of shape and execution of the bowl, this is a type of helmet that was in use in various regions of India, with the cheek pieces and neck defense suggesting the Hyderabad region of southern India. The round bottom part of the bowl with its gradual transition to a harmoniously curved upper part terminating in the finial distinguishes it from helmets of Islamic cavalrymen, with the turban helmet as a variant, which generally have taller bases and a more abrupt transition between base and upper part, although both types share a common typological ancestor. A helmet bowl of nearly identical shape in the Nasser Collection was reportedly made for royal or court use in the kingdom of Golconda (present-day outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana). This helmet illustrates technical and cultural shifts that occurred on the Indian subcontinent through the Muslim conquests between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the subsequent development of purely local styles.