Mounted Gendarme Officer's Helmet, 1912 Model, Third Republic. 27811-1

HELMET FOR AN OFFICER OF A HORSE-MOUNTED GENDARME, model 1912, Third Republic. 27811-1Helmet composed of: a bomb; a visor; a neck guard; a headband; two chinstraps; a crest; a mane; a plume holder and an interior trim. The bomb, in one piece, made of sheet brass, is stamped with a balance wheel, planed with a hammer and polished with a brush. It is pierced at the top with three suction holes (diameter 1.5 cm). Depth of the bomb 12.5 cm. The visor, also made of sheet brass, is inclined at 53 degrees below a horizontal plane passing through the junction of the visor and the bomb. It is bordered by an 8 mm wide silver nickel silver circle placed astride its edges and fixed by five rivets. The underside of the visor is lined with dark green sheepskin. Width of the complete visor 5.4 cm. The neck cover, also made of brass sheet, concave, forming a groove, with rounded corners welded inside, it has two silver nickel silver nails with half-spherical heads (diameter 8 mm) riveted inside. Like the visor, the neck cover is edged with an 8 mm wide silver nickel silver setting, placed on horseback. The underside of the neck cover is lined with ochre calfskin. The headband, made of silver nickel silver, stamped with a flaming grenade surrounded by laurel leaves, is adhered to the bomb. Its base rests on the visor and its ends are riveted to the bomb in the part hidden by the rosette of the chin strap. Width of the headband 6.5 cm. Each chin strap is composed of 10 silver nickel silver scales stamped and cut in the shape of a bay leaf, which decrease in width from the top one, which is 3.5 cm, to the last one, which is only 2 cm. These scales are fixed by wire crampons, flattened on a leather core lined with a sheepskin covered with black velvet. The right chin strap is trimmed at its end with a small silver nickel silver buckle. At the end of the left one is trimmed with a black patent calfskin counter-girth. The upper scale of each chinstrap is embossed in a single piece at its end with a circular rosette (diameter 50 mm) representing a lion's head framed by a triple baguette, the central one of which is pearled. The bomb is surmounted by a copper crest composed of two fins, a silver nickel silver mask. The fins, placed vertically at a distance from each other of 3.2 cm in front and 2.5 cm behind, have the shape of a curvilinear triangle convex at its upper part and which connects with the bomb by its concave base forming a scalloped edge. This edge is fixed to the bomb by means of two silver nickel silver screws with round tallow drop heads which are stopped inside the helmet by square copper nuts. The fins are decorated with acanthus leaves and palmettes and a molding representing two laurel branches with a palmette in the center; the edge is decorated with water leaves, all stamped in relief. A tinned sheet metal plate joins the upper edges of the fins, fixing the spacing. The mask, which serves as the front junction of the two fins by means of a weld, is stamped with a Medusa head in relief. A mane of hair cut in a brush and finished with a floating tail, dyed black. It is mounted on a sole of strong nourished cowhide, in which the hair is assembled in tinned brass wires with a piece of sheepskin glued with strong glue on the assembly. The mane is attached to the crest by two copper screws with nuts. H about 6 cm, length about 65 cm. A silver-plated nickel silver plume holder stamped and engraved with laurel leaves, H 3.5 cm, forming a socket, is attached obliquely, from bottom to top, to the bomb, a little in front of the left chinstrap, by means of two threaded rods passing through the bomb. The interior trim consists of a turban and a headdress. The turban is made of canvas, in one piece, and is attached by means of two chinstrap counter-plates. The black leather headdress cut into 7 wolf teeth and gilded with iron on the inner edge. France. Third Republic. Very good condition of preservation, gilding absent as is almost always the case, slight dents on the bomb, inner headdress worn but in perfect condition. NOTE: Gendarmerie officers' helmets are much rarer than Dragoon or Cuirassier officers' helmets.