French 19th Century Republican Guard Shako

The Second Empire shako exhibits a black wool covered pasteboard body with a prominent brass French eagle plate on the front, red and black trim accents, a leather visor, and a red and white wool pompom. The shako has brass trim to the front plate as well as a brass chain link chin strap to indicate NCO or officer rank. The front plate is attached to the shako with a wire – has no reverse pins. The leather components of the helmet show typical age crazing, with wear to the top surface edges. The interior retains its wide leather sweatband as well as an interior leather strap which is detached on one side of the interior crown. The interior crown also retains much of a paper label for the Republican Guard Gendarmerie, circa 1872. The label bears a handwritten name.  The shako shows general wear with some fraying on the cloth trim.