Miniature Artillery Pickelhaube

A metal miniature artillery officer's Pickelhaube on a marble base as a desk ornament. These miniatures were made around the First World War and the decades prior as desk decorations, patriotic gifts, or commemorative objects for officers.

Features of the Artillery Version

• The Ball (Kugelhelm): In contrast to the regular infantry versions with a sharp spike, a specific artillery Pickelhaube has a round ball on top (Kugel). This had a practical reason: to prevent artillerymen from getting snagged or injuring each other while loading and operating the cannons.
• Marble base: The base almost always consists of a solid block of marble or granite (often black, white, or veined), intended to be heavy enough to serve as a paperweight on a writing desk.
• Movable chin chain: High-quality officer miniatures often feature detailed, movable chin chains (chinstraps or Schuppenkette) along the side.