AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL PARCEL-GILT IRON HELMET QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

thinly cast in iron in a dome shape, the exterior decorated in parcel-gilt with an en face five-clawed dragon and four other dragons in profile encircling the sides, the scales and other details finely incised through the sheets of applied gilt, all surrounded by 'flaming pearls', clouds and auspicious emblems above an attached band with a single-bracket lobe in the front similarly decorated with a pair of gilt dragons centred on a 'flaming pearl', the sides studded with evenly spaced nail heads for attaching a piece of cloth or leather around the base of the helmet, the front securing a reticulated gilt brim containing a pair of confronting dragons bordered by lobed and beaded edges, surmounted by a reticulated domed cap with further dragons covering the open top of the helmet, attached to a tall hollow tube securing a removable iron trident finial encircled by red-dyed horse hair, the iron surface oxidized to dark brown, stand

iron corrosion beneath the gold. gold slightly buckling and lifting in areas. on the back corrosion leaking through the gold. sections of horse hair missing.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present piece was made for the emperor, whose helmets were often made of iron with a silver gilt inlay design of dragons topped by a tall spike with silk fringing and sometimes embellished with a large pearl. See a painting depicting the Qianlong emperor wearing a silver and gilt helmet, by Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining), The Qianlong Emperor in Ceremonial Armour on Horseback, dated to 1739 or 1758 (fig.1), in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and included in the exhibition China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, cat. no. 65. For the possible Ming inspiration for the shaped front of this helmet, see one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, published in 'Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 1996-1997,' The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 55, no. 2 (Fall, 1997), p. 90.

By the Qianlong period the Qing army discontinued the use of armour due to the introduction and proliferation of firearms. Henceforth, the only armour commonly seen was ceremonial types which the emperors wore to the triennial reviews of troops, during which they inspected the armies to assess their strength and witnessed demonstrations of cavalry, archery and combat techniques. While these inspections did not take place on a regular basis after the reign of the Qianlong emperor, ceremonial suits of armour continued to be made, if never worn.