United Kingdom. A Boer War Period British Army Pith Helmet, c.1900

This is a very well-preserved British Army Boer War period pith helmet, constructed of a cork shell with a tan-coloured canvas twill exterior lining. The helmet has a partially protruding front visor and rear neck protector. Wrapped around the helmet is a fully intact puggaree, constructed of tan-coloured cotton twill, which can be unwound and wrapped around the wearer’s face and neck to provide protection from the sun. The left side of the helmet features a bronze Tudor-rose style adornment with hook, onto which is looped a chinstrap constructed of a dark brown felt base with a bronze chain, which can be alternatively attached to a hook on the interior of the right side when desired, or to an additional hook emanating from the exterior tip when not in use. The rim of the helmet is lined with tan-coloured leather which gives way to a forest green cotton twill interior liner, above which is set a 50 mm-wide brown leather sweatband securely stitched into the liner. The sweatband is in turn reinforced by an arched cork apparatus spanning the circumference of the interior. The interior top of the helmet is lined with canvas, identical to that which is found on the exterior, and is stamped with a partially-intact maker’s mark bearing the date “1898”. The interior completes at the top with a circular, spoked, bronze ventilation shaft extending into the exterior tip. The helmet measures approximately 202 mm (w) x 300 mm (l) x 209 mm (h). There is some age-related fatigue to the leather components and minor soiling of the interior, but the helmet is in an otherwise extremely fine condition.