ORIGINAL 17th CENTURY EUROPEAN LOBSTER TAIL CAVALRY COMBAT HELMET W/ NOSE BAR For Sale

Spectacular combat helmet from the 17th century with great eye appeal and character. A heavy, Lobster-Tailed Pot Combat Helmet also known as a zischägge, as found example features a cleaned, one piece steel crown (magnetic), with raised seamsalong the skull for added protection. The one piece crown was seen mostly in continental European versions (Dutch and German) and considered higher quality but required more time and technical skill than the later version with a crown made of two halves joined by a central seam which was often an expediency of mass production. The front visor has a rounded crimped edging with a forward projecting peak in addition to a sliding nasal bar with a screw post assembly for adjusting. The characteristic lobster tail itself is composed of four individual scales, each of which is riveted and held firmly in place. The interior is bare allowed for all hand forged washers and rivets to be examined. As often the case, this helmet is missing the separate ear flaps which would have been in matching steel and attached by leather which deteriorated long ago (there are 2 rivets on each side of the helmet which would have held them in place). Interior circumference is approximately 28”, with a total length from visor to tail of approximately 17.3” and a height of approximately 8.7” from skull to tail. An appealing and early display piece.

The Lobster-tailed pot helmet, also known as the zischägge, horseman's pot and harquebusier's pot, was a type of combat helmet. The design is a European adaptation of the Ottoman Turkish helmet of the 16th Century. It provided excellent visibility and ventilation compared to closed-face helmets. It became the standard choice for light cavalry officers. The helmet gradually fell out of use in most of Europe in the late 17th century; however, the Austrian heavy cavalry retained it for some campaigns as late as the 1780s.

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