"Kazakh" helmet from the collection of khan Zhangir

The article describes a riveted iron helmet (collection No. 3807-1) and its case (collection no. 3807-2) from the funds of the Russian Museum of Ethnography (RME), in Saint-Petersburg. According to the research of S. V. Dmitriev, a member of the museum staff, the helmet was a part of the collection of Zhangir (1823-1845), khan of the Bukey Horde also known as the Inner Horde. In 1919 it was presented to RME by F. N. Genghis Khan, the widow of Khan Zhangir’s son. Initially RME staff identified the helmet as Kazakh, but then they concluded it to be of Mongolian origin. Purpose. To date and describe in details the helmet and its case from the funds of RME (collection no. 3807-1; collection no. 3807-2). Results. The helmet is 25 cm high and has the diameter of 23 cm. Its crown is riveted from four segments with their joints covered with iron plates. A wide ring decorated with silver incision is attached to the lower side of the crown. The ornament design includes curls, eights, conventionalized symbols of sun, swastika, etc. The top cover of the helmet is decorated with a cylindrical plate in the form of a thimble and has a plume tube decorated with two ball-shaped thickenings. A prominent belt is attached to the centre of the helmet’s dome. Together with the vertical plates, it forms the basis of the helmet. The case of the helmet has the form of a conic cap. It is sewed from four triangular pieces of leather decorated with embroidery and applique. A leather belt with three buckles is attached along the lower side of the case. The case has a hard round bottom. The case and the bottom form a «box» for storing the helmet. The analysis of its design and decoration showed that the helmet can be attributed to the military hats of Oiratic-Kazakh frontier. Most likely it was made by Oiratic (Kalmyk or Dzungarian) masters of the XVII-XVIII centuries and subsequently it was used by the Kazakh warriors. The Kazakhs could get it as a trophy or as a result of trading. There could be another possibility: the helmet could be also made by the Kazakh masters on the basis of Oiratic examples. Similar helmets can be also found in the Volga region, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Southern Siberia and the Western Mongolia. The leather case decorated with embroidery and applique has apparently been made by Kazakh masters. Conclusion: The helmet being a part of the collection of the Kazakh khan Zhangir, the fact of military and cultural contacts between the Kazakhs and Oirats during the «Small Mongolian (Oiratic) Invasion» in the XVII-XVIII centuries is proved. The invasion significantly affected the life of nomadic nations of Central Asia during the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Before entering the collection of Zhangir, the helmet could be used as a military hat by representatives of Oiratic (Kalmyk, Dzungarian) or Kazakh elite.