77 - Saxony, pickelhaube of the Carabinier Regiment (2nd Heavy Regiment) Borna, Saxon star, after 1897

Saxony, pickelhaube of the Carabinier Regiment (2nd Heavy Regiment) Borna, Saxon star, after 1897 Metal, textile, leather. Helmet of the Saxon heavy cavalry (Carabiniers). Copper-coloured skull, at the back with a vertical rib, with silver-coloured pointed oval spike base plate with four rivets, on it a spike with pierced neck. To the front a large multi-rayed Saxon star with applied medallion, crowned oval coat of arms with the crown of rue (Rautenkranz) within a laurel wreath. Rounded front visor with edge trim, large flared, three-part neck guard (lobster tail) with ball rivets. Cockades on both sides, one green and white, one black, white and red, attached on both sides hanging domed chinscales with leather straps on the reverse and buckle. Inside lining of brown rep fabric with leather sweatband, without unit, size or name stamps. Condition commensurate with age, lining with signs of use and loosened seams, chin strap crackled, metal with light scratches and verdigris, two small holes in the underside of the visor. 27x29x21 cm (HxWxD). The Royal Saxon Carabinier Regiment (2nd Heavy Regiment) emerged in 1849 from the 3rd Reiter Regiment, received its name in 1867, was stationed entirely in Borna from 1893 and was disbanded on 22 January 1919. From 1876 the Saxon heavy cavalry wore a helmet after the Prussian cuirassier pattern with tombac skull, German silver mounts and large Saxon star, which the Garde-Reiter and the Carabiniers had in common. The Saxon star and the crown-of-rue coat of arms are the helmet insignia of the Kingdom of Saxony, the green and white cockade shows the state colours, and the Reich cockade introduced in 1897 dates the piece to the period thereafter. The helmet and the two Saxon cavalry sabres M 1892 (lots 78 and 79) come from the same wearer, Wachtmeister (sergeant major) Leonhardt, to whom the officers' corps of the Carabinier Regiment dedicated a presentation sabre in 1913 on his 25th service anniversary. He was the grandfather of the journalist Rudolf Walter Leonhardt (1921–2003), head of the Feuilleton (arts section) and deputy editor-in-chief of Die Zeit; his family lived in Borna. Literature: Kurt Klein, Von Deutschland nach Deutschland. Briefe aus der „Ostzone“ 1947–1985 an Rudolf Walter Leonhardt, Bad Münder 1998, pp. 136–141.