A very rare helmet from the period of Al-Ashrof Sayt Ad-Din Qa'it Bay, the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, 1468-1496, sold for £128,500 at the sale of Eastern Arms and Armour from the Richard R. Wagner Collection at Bonhams last week. It had been estimated at £20,000-30,000.

The Mamluk helmet was just one of several lots to exceed their estimates in a sale that raised more than £1.3 million and was 100% sold.

The skull of the helmet is incised with the Ottoman arsenal mark of St. Irene and the finial of the nasal is engraved 'The most honourable ruler Qaytbay, may his victory be glorious.'

Al-Ashrof Sayt Ad-Din Qa'it Bay had an extraordinary life. Born in the Caucasus, he was bought by a slave merchant impressed by his skill in archery and horsemanship and sold to the then Sultan of Egypt. From these humble beginning he worked his way up the ranks at court and was eventually elected Sultan himself.

Other important items in the sale included an Indian jewelled Khanjar sword hilt bought by Richard Wagner from an elderly lady who purchased it at a church sale for $35. It was sold for £68,500 against an estimate of £15,000-20,000. A very fine 18th century Algerian 20-bore toe-lock gun made £43,750 having been estimated at £20,000-30,000.

The owner of the collection, Richard. R. Wagner, had already assembled one of the finest privately held collections of .22 calibre Smith & Wesson pistols in the U.S when his eye turned to Eastern weaponry. The impetus was a trip to the cinema to see Lawrence of Arabia. He was so struck by the beauty and technical skill apparent in Eastern weapons that researching and acquiring them became his new passion, one that lasted nearly 50 years.

Bonhams head of Arms and Armour, David Williams said, "Richard, R. Wagner was very well known for his expertise in weaponry and for his generosity in lending artefacts from his famous collection. It is not surprising that collectors were so eager to acquire pieces with such a distinguished pedigree."