A 15th century Mamluk helmet is valued at £20,000-30,000 ($30,492-45,739) ahead of a major sale of Eastern weapons at Bonhams London on April 29.
The lots on offer are consigned from the collection of Rick Wagner. Wagner began his collection after watching the film Lawrence of Arabia.
 The Mamluk helmet was produced under the reign of Qaytbay |
He bought his first Arabic dagger in the late 1970s, sparking decades of collecting.
Artdaily reports him as saying: "If you buy an antique so beautiful that you couldn't have made it today for the same money, it's a sound investment."
The helmet was made under the reign of Egyptian sultan Al-Ashrof Sayt Ad-Din Qa'it Bay (aka Qaytbay) and displays the Ottoman arsenal mark of St Irene.
It's inscribed on the finial: "The most honourable ruler Qaytbay, may his victory be glorious."
Qaytbay (1468-1496) ruled the Mamluk Sultunate, which spanned Egypt and a portion of the Middle East (including the Levant) from the 12th to the early 16th century.
It fell to the rising Ottoman Empire in 1517.
Other lots in the sale include a rare 18th century Algerian toe-lock gun, which carries an identical estimate of £20,000-30,000 ($30,492-45,739).
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