This head-dress set with jewels formed part of a gold hoard dating to the 15th century Mon Kingdom of Pegu. It is believed to be the ceremonial helmet worn by the Mon Queen Shinsawbu (r.1453-1460). Shaped like a turban the dome is moulded to possibly fit a coiled length of hair which was held in place by the long pin passed through the holes at the base. The unusual appendage with the lozenge shaped depression may have held a jewel and was worn to the front over the queen's nose. It was excavated by labourers when building barracks on the site of an old pagoda east of the Shwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon in 1855 and now at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Dimensions - Height: 19.7 cm, Diameter: 21.5 cm maximum