Casquette d'Afrique

A casquette d'Afrique was a type of lightweight military headgear generally used by the French metropolitan and colonial armies from the early 1830s to the 1860s.

One variety resembled a modern peaked cap with wide crown and horizontal visor, with dark blue band and crimson top and undersides.

Other styles appeared, cylindrical in shape, with slightly sunken crimson top, crimson sides (flamme), national red/white/blue cockade top front, and dark blue band (turban) with flat rounded visor and retractable leather neckflap.

In December 1844, a new black shako was introduced for the French Army, based on the shape of the casquette d'Afrique.

1852 saw the demise of the casquette d'Afrique, when a smaller, softer version was introduced, known as bonnet de police à visière - or more commonly - képi.

Casquette d'Afrique worn by a French foreign legionnaire
Another example of the casquette d'Afrique worn by a chasseur .
Cylindrical shako worn by French soldiers during the conquest of Algeria
The kepi is a smaller version of the casquette d'Afrique