Casgliadau Arlein

Military style police helmet, tall domed shape, slightly longer at the back and pointed at the front. The basic shape is made from cork and is covered with 4 panels of navy fulled wool on the outside, sewn together by machine in black thread. There is a hat band made from a thin strip of the same wool (2cm wide) and sewn by machine. The brim is bound with a thin strip of black patent leather and a yellow metal strip at the front, fixed with tacks halfway along the sides. The badge is missing from the front; 5 holes are visible where it was fixed to the hat. There are 2 large, yellow metal, rose shaped tacks at the sides which also have hooks to attach the chin strap. The top of the hat is adorned with a large yellow metal boss with 4 arms; each with a rose motif and 4 holes for ventilation, the boss is fixed by 4 screws and bolts which go though to the inside in the centre is a yellow metal stem with a sphere on top, which screws into a thread at the top of the boss. The inside is covered with brown cotton sateen, made in 6 panels and machine sewn. There is a grill in the crown for ventilation which is surrounded by a circle of material, possibly paper, it is has a pinked edge and is painted red. The brim is lined with green material probably also painted paper. There is a forehead band made from tan leather, it is fixed with a buckram strip on the suede side, sewn with black and white linen threads, then leather is folded back so that the smooth side is outermost, the top edge is not fixed but has been trimmed with a strip of red silk, which is machine sewn to the leather. There is a black leather chin strap sewn to a yellow metal linked chain with brown linen thread, the ends of the chain loop over the hooks on the sides of the helmet. The chin strap is lined with black velvet.