Clergy caps from La Gleize!

[NickG]

OK lets try a couple more caps from the La Gleize Ardennes museum. These might have a better chance than the earlier posted (thumbs down) tropical ones! Again pictures taken last December while attending the Battle of the Bulge commorative activities:
A clergy schiffchen overseas cap and impressive schirmmutze visor cap! Notice the gold trim! Nick

[Kreager]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the the visor would be for a Bishop and an Erel according to the vented cocade. Very Rare if correct, of course.

[NickG]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the the visor would be for a Bishop and an Erel according to the vented cocade. Very Rare if correct, of course.

Good eye! Based on the vented cockade and the golden piping its like a general's equivalent (Bishop), who would demand nothing but the best (Erel). Note golden piping on top, clergy purple in the center and gold again on the bottom of this visor! It's priceless if indeed its authentic. It looks promising to me!
Nick

[NTZ]

Hey were is Chap? There is something not right with that bishop’s visor, I think. Let him comment on the waffenfarbe.

[NickG]

Hey were is Chap? There is something not right with that bishop’s visor, I think. Let him comment on the waffenfarbe.

I know where you are going with this..as it appears that the visor has medical blue piping rather than clergy purple farbe. There have been many discussions on WAF about this, including even clergy shoulderboards (which btw never existed as far as I know) and overseas cap chevrons discussed on WAF with the wrong shade of purple. There are many explanations, like perhaps manufacturer's variations, fading over time (UV exposure), weather exposure and decades of aging that could result in the "wrong" color... or just the light and photography playing games with the appearance. I'm not too concerned about that... but who knows? Yes, lets wait and see what Chap has to say. This subject matter is indeed right up his alley! Nick

[derek]

Nick,
I hope you're right about the light and colour distorting this photograph. If original, that's some cap!
The centre piping on this Bishop's cap definitely looks to be the wrong colour in the picture, although just to edge of the reflection of the flash it does appear to be a little more like the correct violet. The colours of the picture do look "off" as the two metallic pipings appear to be silver at the top and gold at the bottom.
The same with the badges, I can't really tell from the photo whether they are silver or gold. I presume the latter.
As you mentioned above, the quality of the hat is certainly commensurate with the rank, but I'd be taking a long hard look at it if the piping is indeed blue.
I think I'll contact the museum and see if they have any inventory photographs of the hat that could clear up the issue with the colour of the piping and badges.
Derek