The wearer of this helmet would have been protected by the sturdy steel cap and nasal (the thin section that slid down over the nose) and by the chain mail around the face and neck. Further protection for the Muslim warrior, who may have been a cavalryman, was provided by the inscription, now largely effaced, at the cap's lower edge. It is part of a verse from the Qur'an that ends: "God is all-hearing, all-knowing" (Sura al-Baqara: chapter 2, verse 256). The overall arabesque, or scrollwork, design above the inscription is another common decorative motif on Islamic armor.For the latest information about this object, helmets, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: Reign: Style:
