Bidspirit auction | French M1825 Cuirassier Armor, Helmet

French M1825 Cuirassier Armor, Helmet - This exceptional French Bourbon Restoration-era heavy cavalry armor set includes the steel breastplate (cuirass), matching backplate, and a classic brass-crested steel helmet. The helmet features a striking Medusa-head brass crest, a front plate detailed with a flaming grenade motif, and its original black horsehair mane and tail. A defining feature of this set is found on the inner lower rim of the breastplate, which bears the hand-engraved arsenal script of the famous Manufacture Royale de Klingenthal, dated November 1829 (”8bre 1829”), alongside its official registry mark ”2e Taille No 2786”. The backplate bears matching stamped serial numbers alongside its own hand-engraved script from the Manufacture Nationale de Châtellerault dated October 1852 (”8bre 1852”), representing an incredible testament to decades of continuous arsenal maintenance and reissue. The plates retain their heavy leather shoulder strap foundations overlaid with double-linked brass chains and brass keyhole fasteners. Objectively, the pieces are in good antique condition with an authentic age patina, showing expected scattered oxidation, light pitting, minor scuffs, and superficial surface wear; the helmet's internal leather liner shows evidence of red rot but remains in fairly solid condition overall, modern adhesive tape has been temporarily applied to stabilize parts of the horsehair plume, the leather waist belt is a repurposed rifle sling, and the leather foundations of the brass-chained shoulder straps are likely re-riveted replacements. H 19”, W 15”, D 12”. Please see photos for condition.