Austria, Imperial. An Officer's Kepi, c.1915

This kepi incorporates the traditional flat top design and slopes forward slightly, the upper itself in black cotton. The insignia on the front is composed of a centre in beige embroidery with brown threading in the middle, where the regimental marker once resided but has been lost to time, framed by a row in rolled gold-coloured bullion wire, surrounded by four rows of twisted/knotted gold-coloured bullion wire, secured in place via black threading on the underside. Its accompanying supporting panel in gold-coloured bullion wire interlaced with red threading, with a button in bronze gilt at the base bearing the Hungarian St. Stephen royal crown, measuring 29.5 mm (w) x 72 mm (h). The front has a visor that is flat and stiff in vulcan fibre, with a reinforcing black leather strip stitched in place along the front edge. A strap with a patent leather upper houses a magnetic metal buckle in the middle and rests upon the visor, affixed to bronze gilt buttons on either end, both of which bears the Hungarian St. Stephen royal crown, with a black cord emanating from behind each of the buttons, rising up and terminating at the edge of the flat top. The bottom edge of the kepi is trimmed along the opening in an 8 mm wide strip in gold-coloured bullion wire interlaced with red threading. The inside is lined in a champagne-coloured satin-blend and is finished in a 36 mm wide hazelnut brown leather sweatband. The kepi measures 195 mm in width x 240 mm in depth x 130 mm in height, exhibiting slight crazing on the upper of visor, slight separation of the visor from the body of the kepi on the left side, light soiling and tiny holes present on the interior lining, the sweatband with age soiling from active use. As worn