Analysis reveals a unique helmet's combat function in Mongolia, suggesting connections to elite armor from the Mongol Empire.
Horqin was a key region in eastern Mongolia that Genghis Khan bestowed upon his brothers, Khasar and others. Around 1935, when Japan ruled Manchukuo, a unique Mongolian helmet was discovered here by Dr. Noboru Yamamoto. Though bearing a Qing prince’s name in Manchu script, the helmet’s heavy-layered iron core, gold-inlaid Lantsa mantras, and gemstones suggest earlier origins. In particular, structural analysis shows that despite its high-status symbolic features, it has a combat function. We propose it was originally Khasar’s, later modified by Horqin descendants. This rare artifact may offer valuable insight into early Mongol elite armor and prompt broader research into the material culture of the Mongol empire.
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Yamamoto et al. (2025) studied this question.
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