Indian, Northern India
Helmet (Kulah Khud), 17th century-18th century
Metal , 18 x 29.5 cm (7 1/16 x 11 5/8 in.)
This northern Indian helmet, or Kulah khud, is a bowl-shaped helmet with a long pointed top. The helmet is made of metal and has gold script decorating the exterior. The base of the helmet is decorated with two thin painted gold bands with script inside the bands. Above the upper thin band, covering the majority of the bowl of the helmet is gilded script, flourishes, and floral decorations. The top of the helmet is a separate raised metal piece decorated with a smaller, repeating floral pattern. The helmet is topped with a small metal ball.
Close
Yasuko Horioka et al. Oriental and Islamic Art: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1975), pp. 133-34, no. 64. (North Indian, 17th or 18th century)
Walter J. Karcheski, Jr. "An Ecclesiastical Glaive in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum." Fenway Court (1985), p. 51. (called a "kulah khud helmet")
Object details
Accession number
M27w72
Primary Creator
Indian, Northern India
Full title
Helmet (Kulah Khud)
Creation Date
17th century-18th century
Provenance
Purchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner in Cairo in winter 1904-1905, through the painter Joseph Lindon Smith (1863-1950). (with museum no. M27w75)
Dimensions
18 x 29.5 cm (7 1/16 x 11 5/8 in.)
Display Media
Metal
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Long Gallery
Bibliography
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 231. (as North Indian (Rapjut), 17th century)Yasuko Horioka et al. Oriental and Islamic Art: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1975), pp. 133-34, no. 64. (North Indian, 17th or 18th century)
Walter J. Karcheski, Jr. "An Ecclesiastical Glaive in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum." Fenway Court (1985), p. 51. (called a "kulah khud helmet")
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.
Long Gallery
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.