Three-quarter Suit 1590
Composed. Consisting of a matching breast and backplate, Burgonet, munions and long tassets. All of the pieces with recessed polished bands and raised rough from the hammer surfaces. Edges with inward-turned roped rolls.
German Burgonet: Of 'Black and White' form with recessed bands on each side of the skull. High, roped comb. Neck plate and brim formed of separate plates, each with rolled, recessed and roped borders. Cheek plates with flared bottom (conforming to the neck plate), raised circle in the center and a raised edge at the face openning. Signs of delamination as is common with authentic pieces. Includes original patch at the tail flare and 2 rivets to stabilize laminations at the forhead. Extremely fine roping on the rolls. Likely indistinct Nuremberg guild mark in the white band near the point of the brim. White bands lightly cleaned to restore original look. Right cheek plate replaced. Overall oxidized and stabilized surface. No signs of cleaning that would affect the surface. Small holes in the comb almost certainly from corrosion. Thickness of the bowl pretty consistently .050 in. Weight 3 pounds (1360 g).
German Black and White Cuirass: Comprising a heavy peascod breastplate with roped flanges at the neck and sliding gussets, the lower edge flanged for a skirt of 2 plates, the bottom one arched, turned and roped at the center, and matching three part backplate with separate riveted culet, the edges turned and roped, the surfaces throughout divided by bright bands and borders into blackened panels, rough from the hammer, and struck near the neck on both breast and back with the Nuremberg mark and a maker's mark of a pair of shears in an inverted shield (possibly that of Martin Schneider). The waist belt is an older modern replacement which needs to be replaced again. The shoulder straps are newer replacements. 5 of the 6 straps for the suspension of tassets remain and they are secured by 8 lobed roset washers. Working life leathers are relatively rare, these are a nice survival. The fauld lames are slightly deformed. The right gusset, breastplate and both fauld lames are marked with a chiseled 'X' assembly marks - the left gusset is different - possibly due to its having been for the left (it fits and matches the right in every respect). Identified maker's marks are relatively rare. Makers were qualified in separate armour elements, there appears to have been one who was a master in both breasts and backs in Nuremberg who used a similar mark, so the attribution is probably accurate. The form, material distribution, marks and details indicate that this is a pretty good cuirass. The rolls, roping, recessed bands and 'engraved' lines are all nice. This piece is nicer than many black and white armours. The line terminations at the points are indicative of a pretty aggressive method of manufacture.
Measurements: Breast mostly .090 inch thick tapering at the sides to app. .070.
Gorget with munions and tassets: Comprising a gorget of 3 plates front and back with integral shoulder protection of 6 plates (munions) and a pair of long tassets. Each with recessed polished bands in the main and raised bands on the secondary edges. All parts cleaned and releathered. Munions and tassets retain buckles which appear to be replacements. The rolls on the bottom plate of the tassets taper from the center. The inner edges of the top 3 plates are rolled and have recessed borders. The edges of these plates curve around the area where the cod piece might be. The tassets are assembled using sliding rivets along the outer edge and leathers at the center and inside. The main front plate of the gorget is marked at the center on the outside with the city mark of Nurmberg, and on the inside with a backwards N in a circle.
Composed of item number A-52 (burgonet), item number A-19 (cuirass), and item number A-168 (munions and tassets).
If you have any questions, please send them to Wade Allen
This site last updated Wed Jul 09 21:38:05 EDT 2025