Mystery Shako

This Tschako appears to be the standard Russian Kiver.
These were used in the Napoleonic Wars and beyond.
Normally these are found in fiber, but leather would not surprise me.
The only real oddity that I see are the lion heads holding the chinscales. I have not seen those before on a Russian Tschako.
The design is Russian. The characteristic bow in the bell crown is typical Russian. The front plate is Russian.
What are your concerns?
It is a beautiful piece!! :bravo:

John :)
 
Around that same time period (1812-1813) US shakos were felt except for the artillery which were leather. IS it possible that the Russian had some troops that had leather and others in felt?
 
Never seen sutch a tschako so i wil not be able to provide information on this one ,but what i can say is that it is stil in great shape and condition
Well done with tis find 👍👍👍
 
Believe me this is shako fake. He has nothing to do with the Russian shako. Such three-flame grenades were attached to a cartridge bag
:thumbsdown:
 
By reading and looking to added information by aicusv i cant see anything that would sugest it is a fake one
For me it looks legit
 
I do not see any point in discussing this shako. Kiver has no relation to the Russian army. It's unclear what
 
I'm not saying it is real - All I'm saying is to me it looks like a Russian Grenadier shako. If the construction is incorrect or the materials used wrong, or that it is assembled incorrectly, well I don't know.
 
These kind of Tschako in Leather was also used by the bavarian Militia (Bürgerwehr). Their Tschako have had the golden Chinscale and the Lionheads on the sides. Without the Grenadier-Plate I would be sure but I don‘t know if they have had Grenadiers and I did not see this Plate on their Tschakos.
 
Interesting discussion about a helmet that I know nothing about. When you have time Sergei could you post a picture of a "real Russian" shako so we could see what an original looks like? Thanks
 
Hello everyone,

Thanks for the discussion! All very interesting points. It seems that this is probably not a Russian shako, which begs the question what is it? I wonder if this was something made for the centennial of 1812? I do not think that it is a fake meant to defraud anyone, as it does not conform to Russian regulations. And in my opinion, it is honestly aged. I have owned several 19th century shakos, as well as older reproductions, and this one has a very honest "feel" to it. The liner shows wear in the right places, etc. Is it 200 years old, or just a 100 year old piece in bad condition, I cannot say definitively. It is very well made, however. Entirely hand-sewn. This of course, is just my opinion, others are encouraged to express their opinions too!

I should add that I am not trying to sell the shako (I am rather keen on it), so I will not be offended by any comments in regards to its authenticity. I am just curious about your thoughts. It's a head-scratcher.

Best wishes,

Cole
 
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