Original Item: Only One Available. This is an outstanding example of an early American Massachusetts Volunteer Militia artillery shako, dating to approximately 1825–1845, complete with its insignia, decorative braided cord, plume, and original manufacturer's label from John B. Baker of Boston, Massachusetts. The front features a Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (MVM) shako plate positioned above a crossed cannon insignia identifying the artillery branch. Above the plate is a black cockade bearing the numeral 2, suggesting an association with the 2nd Artillery or another numbered formation within the Massachusetts militia. Particularly noteworthy is the surviving manufacturer's label inside the crown, which not only identifies the Boston maker but also illustrates a shako with decorative cords arranged in almost exactly the same manner as those on this example. Although the plume is most likely a later replacement, the shako retains an impressive amount of its original nineteenth-century construction and decorative detail.

During the early nineteenth century, state militia organizations formed an important component of the American military establishment. Although the United States maintained a relatively small regular army during the decades following the War of 1812, individual states continued to organize volunteer infantry, artillery, and cavalry units for local defense and military preparedness. Massachusetts possessed a particularly well-established militia tradition, with numerous volunteer companies maintaining their own uniforms, insignia, and ceremonial equipment. These organizations were often influenced by contemporary European military fashions, and their uniforms could be considerably more elaborate than those worn by regular American soldiers.

This example features a prominent Massachusetts Volunteer Militia shako plate on the front, positioned above a separate crossed cannon artillery insignia. The arrangement identifies the cap with the Massachusetts militia and its artillery branch. Above the MVM plate is a black cockade displaying the numeral 2, most likely indicating a numbered artillery company, battery, or other militia organization. The exact unit designation has not been independently established, but the combination of the cockade and crossed cannon insignia strongly supports its identification as a Massachusetts militia artillery shako.

This example has a lovely plume that is likely not original, and is not sturdy in the hole, but will look great for display. With the plume, the shako measures 13 ½” tall with a 7 ⅜” body diameter, and with the visor the shako is roughly 10” deep. The pasteboard visor is now a bit loose and floppy, so please handle it with care. There are two small Federal buttons on the sides which originally held a chinstrap, and one button still retains a small remnant of the strap. The body has a braided tan-colored cord running from the front down the right side and terminating at a cross-shaped device, above which is the knot of the cord hanging off. It gives the shako a lovely look. 

The interior retains the leather sweatband with a tightening cord that is still intact and tied! The interior crown bears a gorgeous maker’s label reading:

JOHN B. BAKER
MANUFACTURER OF
SADDLES, VALISES,
TRAVELLING TRUNKS, MILITARY CAPS
& EQUIPMENTS
COURT 12 STREET
BOSTON.

The label shows a motif of the goods described including a shako that bears similarities to this one, including the braided cord in the exact same position!

John B. Baker was among the Boston tradesmen producing military caps and associated equipment during the early nineteenth century. Makers of this type frequently supplied volunteer militia organizations, whose members often purchased their own uniforms and accessories according to the requirements and preferences of their individual companies. The manufacturer's label therefore provides important evidence of the shako's commercial origin and illustrates the relationship between civilian craftsmen and the state militia organizations they supplied.
This is an excellent example, though there is some heat shrinkage to the leather, typical of nearly 200 year old leather.

This Massachusetts Volunteer Militia artillery shako is a particularly informative survivor of American military dress during the early nineteenth century. Its MVM plate, crossed cannon insignia, numbered cockade, and elaborate braided cord preserve the distinctive appearance of volunteer artillery headgear from the period surrounding the Seminole Wars. The original John B. Baker label is especially important, providing a direct manufacturing attribution and an illustrated comparison with the surviving cord arrangement. Although the precise militia unit represented by the numeral 2 has not been confirmed, and the plume appears to be a later addition, the shako retains a substantial collection of identifiable period features. Its construction, decorative details, and documented Boston maker make it a significant example of the elaborate uniforms and equipment employed by American volunteer militia organizations before the Civil War.