Description
We seldom have the opportunity to offer Ulanen-Regiment tschapkas. Saxon examples tend to be rarer. Saxony fielded only three Ulanen-Regiments, which was a far smaller number than Prussia. Prussia had nineteen of the prewar Ulanen-Regiments (including two formerly Hanoverian regiments), while two hailed from Württemberg and three from Saxony. The three Saxon regiments were Königs. Sächs. 1. Ulanen-Regiment Nr 17 Kaiser Franz Joseph von Österreich. König von Ungaren, Königl. Sächs. 2. Ulanen-Regiment Nr 18, and Königl. Sächs. 3. Ulanen-Regiment Nr 21 Kaiser Wilhelm II, König von Preußen. The tschapka’s wappen reveals that our example was correct for the two earliest Saxon Ulanen-Regiments.
Its leather body is nearly flawless. A great variety of officers’ helmets do not display such a fine leather body. It is simply superb. The wappen features a gold sunburst and a silver Saxon Coat-of-Arms in its center. [For your information, helmets from Königl. Sächs. 3. Ulanen-Regiment Nr 21 Kaiser Wilhelm II, König von Preußen display wappens with the opposite color scheme. The helmets sport a silver sunburst and a gilt coat-of-arms]. The helmet also features gilt-toned chin scales and gilt trim on the rounded front visor. A correct, single, Reich’s kokarde appears on the helmet’s right side. The helmet’s mortarboard has the correct, white and green Saxon field badge attached to its top.
No depot markings show inside the helmet, so this was a privately-purchased piece. A full and complete leather liner is present. The liner’s multiple tongues are looped together with a sizing cord that the man could adjust as necessary. Stamped in black under the liner is the number “11981.” It makes no sense to me, but might be a museum control number.
The helmet has been lovingly cared-for and is in near-mint condition, overall. You will search for a long time to find a tschapka as appealing as this one.
