A Fine Persian Kulah Khud, Dhal And Bazu Band

Qajar, 19th Century

Of finely watered wootz steel, the first with domed skull chiselled in bas-relief with Persepolitan hunting scenes within arcades, the scenes involving horsemen hunting various game, and including a bearded figure riding an elephant, armed with a sword and wielding an axe, and a female figure at her toilette, and around the base of the arcade with the repeated scene of a lioness attacking a hind, the rim with gold-inlaid ovoidal panels enclosing Persian couplets in praise of the helmet in gold-inlaid nasta'liq, each panel between a cartouche chiselled with a hawk attacking a bird, a gold-inlaid circular cartouche at the front inscribed in gold 'The servant of the King of Trusteeship Sulaymen' and dated 1115 A.H. (corresponding to 1703-04 A.D.), fitted with threaded central spike of hollow diamond section on a circular mount chiselled with four birds each in a cartouche, and adjustable nasal with shaped finials, vandyked camail of small butted steel and brass rings forming a repeated design, and retaining its brown velvet liner; the second of convex circular form with four gold-damascened bosses each with pierced border, the outer surface decorated en suite with the kulah khud within a double border of gold-damascened calligraphy and scrolling foliage (some loss of gold-damascening in one area), and retaining its padded brown velvet liner, leather pad and bracers; the last shaped to the fore-arm and decorated en suite (wrist-plates and liner missing) (3)
26.5 cm. high, 38.3 cm. diam. and 35 cm. long