Breastplate circa 1500-1510
Italian/Flemish. One piece breastplate with central crease. Angular outward-turned rolls at the neck and arms. Flaired bottom edge for a fauld.
Measurements: 13 in. tall, 13 1/2 in wide below the arm holes, 11 3/8 in. wide at the waist. Thickness: center mostly .120-.140 with thick spots up to .150, side tapers down to .080, shoulders taper to .050, but only right at the edge more of the shoulder area is no thinner than .080. Rolls up to app. 1/2 in. tall at the center. Weight 5 pounds 11.6 ounces (2.595 kilo). [inv. num. A-239]
Breast and Back plates circa 1505-10
Breastplate formed of one piece. Globular form. Simple outward turns at the neck and arms. The rolls are tapered with a rounded profile on the outside, with a subtle crease in the front forming a very crude triangular roll. Short spray of flutes at the center composed of 5 full flutes with two step (one sided) flutes - one on each side. The flutes are accented by engraved lines. Pierced for laces at the center of the neck and with two marks. Waist flared to carry a fauld of 3 lames. The fauld lames secured to the flare by rivets and to each other by sliding rivets at the side. The bottom fauld lame has a narrow outward turn at the center which is slightly boxed. The breastplate is cut out at the sides of the waist. The sides and ends of the fauld lames extend significantly past the waist. This is typical of armours around 1500. Two buckles at the shoulders. Both appear to be old, but they are probably both associated. One is too nice for this simple armour and the mounting plate is decorated so that it appears to have been originally designed to be used on the surface of a piece of armour. Backplate formed of three plates with raised borders at the neck and waist and with one full flute and two one sided flutes at the center. These flutes are not accented with engraved lines. The back has a very full, rounded shape. The breast and back are secured by straps at the shoulders and would have been secured at the waist by a strap and buckle secured to the back plate. Leathers depend from the bottom plate of the fauld to secure tassets. All leather straps replaced. Given the way munition armours appear to fit, it is reasonable to assume that these breast and back really do form a cuirass. Nice example of a simple munition breast and back from the very beginning of the 16th century. A very similar cuirass in the Kienbusch Collection, Philadelphia (cat. no. 123, pl. LVII), which is described as having come from the Bayerisches Armeemuseum, Munich. A number of similar cuirasses are said to have been worn by the town guard of Munich in about 1500.
Measurements: width between the arms 11 1/4 in., top center of the neck roll to the waist 13 1/4 in., width a the arm holes 14 5/8 in., width at the waist 10 1/8 in.(given the cut into the edge of the waist, it is wider than this at the real waist), fauld lames 1 3/4 - 1 7/8 in. tall at the center, backplate 13 in. wide across the top, 13 3/4 in. wide under the arms, 1 3/4 in wide at the waist, 12 1/2 in. tall at the center.
Thickness: variable - a few sample measurements indicate app. .090 in under the flutes in the center, .070 about half way around on the left hand side and .050 at the side under the left arm. Fauld mostly .030-.040, if there is a pattern they are thicker in the center. Backplate generally .040-.078, most thicker spots near the waist and upper right corner. Some spots up to .070 in. thick. Most of the surface .050-.060, thinning at the shoulder blades.
Weight: breastplate and fauld 5 pounds 15 ounces (2690 g), backplate 3 pounds 5.2 ounces (1505 g). [inv. num. A-212]
This shows a munition maximilian breastplate with simple rolls, shallow depth, simple fauld and simple fluting.
Maximilian Breastplate circa 1505-15
Of shallow globose form with three sprays of flutes radiating from the waist. There are seven flutes in the center spray and 5 in each of the side sprays. The outermost flute on each of the side sprays is really a step - a single sided flute. Neck with an angular inward turn. Arms with sliding gussets with similar angular inward turns. Wide waist lame. Fauld missing. Flutes accented by parallel engraved lines and semi-circular engraved ends. Waist lame with horizontal engraved lines and shallow engraved lines continuing the flutes from the breastplate and suggesting the flutes on the missing fauld. Waist lame cut out at the sides. Each gusset has a buckle at the top to secure the breastplate to the backplate. One of the buckles is likely original the other appears to be a well matched copy. The surface shows signs of rust, cleaning and delaminations. A very similar breastplate forms part of a half-harness in the Fitzwilliam Collection #M.1.3-1936 (cuirass catalogued as M.1.3.C-1936) identified as German, 1510.
Measurements: width at the chest under the arms at the corner of the gussets 13 3/4 in. width at the waist 9 in. (given the cut into the edge of the waist, it is wider than this at the real waist) width at the bottom of the main plate corner to corner 10.4 in. width of the main plate at the top 8.6 in. width at the top including the gussets 9.8 in.
Thickness at the sides .030-.042 with at least one spot on the left side down to .020, top edge app. .050 (varying between .040 and .065, but mostly .050-.055, at the top of the central flute spray .075-.095, the thickest spot in the center generally .090-.120, mostly .095-.10. The thickness is current after some significant loss and cleaning to the outside (some of the engraved lines are nearly erased), it would have been measurably but not significantly thicker. Weight 4 pounds 3.8 oz (1930 g). [inv. num. A-170]
This beastplate has suffered more, but it was much nicer when it was new. The rolls are much nicer, it has gussets, nice flutes, a waist lamea and better overall shape.
Gauntlet finger circa 1370-1400
English. Three finger plates from a fourteenth century English gauntlet, most likely an hourglass gauntlet. Comprising the first, knuckle and second plates. Main plates decorated with raised ridges at the center bordered by pairs of engraved lines. First plate with slightly domed areas at both ends bordered with a lightly engraved line. Third plate with a slightly domed area at the front that is bent down slightly. Knuckle of domed form with a raised ridge the edges with an engraved line parallel to the edge with plain file decoration like simple roping. Each plate with two rivets to secure them to the foundation arranged down the length of the main plates and on the sides of the knuckle plates. Made of iron. Old, mostly stable oxidized finish on the exterior. Found at Queenhithe, London. Publications: Object and Economy in Medieval Winchester Martin Biddle (Fig 349) Medieval Artifacts Nigel Mills. (Fig 245b) and Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450 by Tobias Capwell page 166 - illustrated along with several separate gadlings in private collections.
Measurements: First plate 2 3/32 in. long, 1 3/32 in. wide at the back end, 7/8 in wide at the front (measured at the very end before the corners are beveled back). Knuckle 1 3/16 in wide, 31/32 long at the side, 15/16 at the center. Third plate 1 3/4 in. long, 1 in wide at the back and 7/8 in wide at the line demarking the shaped area at the end where it starts tapering more. All width measurements performed flat under the curved plates. Thickness: generally .040-.050 with some thick spots up to .060 in.
Weight: [inv. num. A-236]
This came from Ebay. If it hadn't been for one other bidder, it would have been cheap. This is probably my piece with the best documentation and history. It is also my earliest piece of armour. I wasn't watching Ebay much at this point, but some friends were and they were sure that they wanted to get access to the piece and that I would pay more than they could. So they told me about it.
German Gothic Gauntlet circa 1480-90
Single gauntlet for the right hand. Nicely formed 'Gothic' gauntlet typical of the late 15th century in Germany. Fluted, engraved and pierced overall. Formed of a large metacarpal plate joined to a wrist lame by another, smaller lame. The cuff is also attached to the wrist lame. The cuff is pointed with a small outward turn. The knuckle, metacarpal, wrist and cuff plates are attached with sliding rivets allowing the wrist to flex in all directions. The knuckle plate is formed into a rounded crease over each knuckle. The base of the thumb is covered by a large plate secured to the metacarpal plate with a hinge. The thumb and fingers are covered by two plates bridged by a pointed knuckle plate that overlaps the other two plates. The finger plates are secured to a plate inside the knuckle plate. This plate is secured to the sides of the knuckle plate. Rivets replaced. Finger and thumb plates are probably also modern, but well made.
Thickness: cuff generally 0.028 in (varying, .025-.032), wrist plate and next hand plate app. .030, main hand plate .030-.055 - mostly .040-.050, knuckle plate can't reasonably me measured due to the inner plate and finger plates.
Weight: 13.2 ounces (375 g). [inv. num. A-213]
German Gauntlet (part) circa 1490-1500
Finger, knuckle and 1 1/2 metacarpal plates of a German Gothic mitten gauntlet. The finger lames are fluted to simulate fingers, the knuckle plate with rounded and creased knuckles. The first metacarpal plate is fluted with v-shaped puckers to accommodate the flutes in the knuckle and finger lames. There is half of the hinge used to attach the thumb plate, and half of the second metacarpal plate remaining. Each of the articulations is formed with sliding rivets with slots app. 1/4 in. long. 2 rivets have been lost, the parts held together by bolts. Formerly in the collection of Leonard Heinrich - armourer to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
Thickness: Generally around .030 in. The back of hand plate is pretty consistently .028-.032. The knuckle plate varies more, generally .025-.030, the finger plates vary even more - .020-030. The hinge is folded over. The overall thickness of the two layers is .060 at the bend, the actual metal is likely a little thinner. The pin is .090 in diameter, the hinge is .450 wide at the pin. The partial plate is 3/4 in. wide at the center, .7 in. at near the bulge at the end, .85 at the bulge for the rivet. The second finger plate is just over 1 in. wide. The first plate is app. 1 1/16 in. wide. The main hand plate is 2 in wide at the first knuckle tapering to 1 11/16ths at the fourth knuckle.
Weight: 4.6 ounces (130 grams)
There are often questions about how the flutes can work through the range of movement, esp. where the knuckles interact with the metacarpal. The last two images posted show the interaction between the metacarpal and knuckle plates when the hand is straight and when the sliding rivets are fully compressed and fully extended. These show that they really don't work all that well when fully compressed and straight. They do look and work pretty well when somewhat bent and extended. This is just sort of the nature of movement when one plate has tapering flutes. [inv. num. A-47]
I like this piece very much. It has been extremely useful in discussions related the operation and form of gothic and early 16th c. mittens. It probably has no real "collectible" value. This is an example of needing to understand the goal of the collection when buying items.
Mitten Gauntlet late 16th century
Of russet steel. Hand formed of 5 overlapping plates articulated to allow the wrist to bend down and up. Fingers covered by mitten plates formed of 5 separate plates, the final one with a narrow, inwardly turned, roped roll. Hand joined to the fingers by a roped knuckle plate. Cuff of slightly tapered tubular form made from an inner and outer plate. There is a small roll on the inside of the elbow. This was most likely intended to be used without a vambrace as a simple elbow gauntlet. The end of the cuff has a line of rivets to secure a leather strip, the terminal finger plate has a line of rivets to secure the glove and there are remains of a palm strap secured to the main hand plate. Half of the hinge for the thumb remains. The articulations on this gauntlet are very well executed. The rivets appear to be original. From the George F. Harding Collection, previously ex collection Henry Griffith Keasby. 14 5/8 in long. Thickness - cuff .030-.042 back of hand .040-.050 fingers .025-.040 primarily around .032. Close inspection of the finger lames shows the center of the lames are 1.1-1.3 in. wide, the thumb side at the bend are just under an inch and the other side app. .93 in. Rivet tabs are app. .2 in. Weight 1 pound 4.8 ounces (585 g) [inv. num. A-122]
This gauntlet isn't all that pretty, but it works really, really well. It illustrates how mitten finger lames should work in the mid 16th c. or later when they don't have sliding rivets.
German Halbard mid 16th
diamond shaped spike. Long, straight blade and down-turned rear fluke. Top and bottom of the blade decorated with half-round notches. Top of fluke decorated with larger sem-circular notches. Fluke pierced with 3 holes. Blade pierced with 6 holes and a larger trefoil. 2 long original straps. Working life shaft with decorative studs. Ex Bischoff collection [inv. num. W-7]
Rondel Dagger circa 1420
Stiff diamond shaped blade tapering to a point. With characteristic round guard and pommel. Smaller guard and larger pommel. Excavated but retaining most of its original form. Conserved. Purportedly found in Calais.
Measurements: overall length 11 3/8 inches, handle 3 3/8 inches, rear disk 2 1/4 inches across, hilt disk 1 1/2 inches across. Blade at the hilt 1 inch wide and .32 inch thick. [inv. num. W-56]
Ballock Dagger late 15th century
Excavated. Sharply tapered, deeply hollow ground, wedge shaped blade. Handle of typical form with a pair of lobes at the hilt and flairing out toward the pommel. The hilt with an iron plate bending down to form points on each side of the blade. Pommel with a disk shaped plate and a small copper washer and the peinned end of the tang. Wood with some modern fill. Measurements: 8 1/4 in (21 cm) blade. Ex. Coll. Anthony De Reuck. [inv. num. W-54]
German/Austrian (possibly Gratz) Breastplate circa 1590
Including 2 buckles at shoulders. Rolled edges at arm holes and neck, full flare at waist - used without any fauld lames. Simple peascod shape. This breastplate is relatively light and most likely sword proof and not shot proof. This item is very similar to large numbers of breastplates in the Arsenal in Graz. Its original blackened finish has been removed by cleaning with acid. Originally it would have been used with a pair of tassets suspended directly from the wide flare at the waist of the breastplate - taking the place of the fauld. The holes for the tasset straps are evident. Each tasset would have been suspended by 3 straps and buckles - the ones nearest the edge and center of the breastplate were attached by 2 rivets, the central one with a single rivet. Weight 3.5 lbs.
rough inner and outer surfaces, but roughly .050-.060 inch thick overall. [inv. num. A-15]
This is a light breastplate. It should be sword proof, but not more. It is rough from the hammer and would have been 'black' when it was in use.
Shot proof Breastplate circa 1600
Simple one piece breastplate with central crease which droops to form a peascod at the waist. Arm and neck holes with simple outward-turned, lightly roped rolls. Flaired at the waist. Pierced with holes for shoulder straps at the shoulders and with pairs of holes for three straps on each side to secure tassets. Rough from the hammer finish. Proofed with a musket in the chest. Marked with an unidentified mark resembling '8Z'. Minor delaminations on the outside and some major delamination in the inside near the center of the neck.
Measurements:
Weight: 16 pounds 9.2 ounces. (7,520 g).
Thickness at the center of the bottom half up to 0.340 in. but generally closer to 0.290-0.320, in the top it reaches 0.350 inches near the center, tapering down to 0.250 in. at the shoulder, and down to 0.130 in. at the sides. [inv. num. A-209]
This is a very similar breastplate. It is much thicker and would have been built to be shot proof. 3.5 pounds is very different from 16.5+.
Mail Sleeve 16th century
Formed of small rings with app. 7/32 inch inside diameter measured with a ruler. Wire thickness measured with a dial gauge app. .030 in. OD of rings app. .270 varying noticeably as many of the rings are slightly oval. For these rings the ID would be app. .210 inch or 5.4 mm. This is consistent with the rough measurement. The sleeve includes an area covering the shoulder and armpit, full sleeve with bend at the elbow and tapering to the form of the arm. Rings of rounded section with flattened area for the rivet. All rings riveted. Wedge rivets with the back set flush and front forming a a shallow point. Rings of consistent size. No signs of decorative rings at the edge of the gusset. There are a very few remaining rings that are likely brass at the cuff. Small losses, but relatively sound. Missing rings have been replaced with butted rings to stabilize the fabric. The total surface area is 564 sq. inches, given the density of the mail this means there are app. 18,340 rings in this sleeve. It weighs app. 3 lb. 5 oz. (1500 g). The sleeve is tailored using a line of reductions on the upper arm running in a line from near the corner of the cross-grain joint of the armpit to a place just shy of the elbow. It also has two lines of row reductions in the forearm. This sleeve is larger than the other one and less dense. Analysis, repairs and marking by Robert MacPherson.
Detail images show the edge of the shoulder area over an inch scale. Microscopic images show: first a missing rivet in the iron rings with a trapezoidal hole, second shows a missing rivet in the latten cuff. The cusped edge on the solid latten ring is generally considered evidence of punching too close to the edge of a previous hole. Detailed images and analysis by Mart Shearer. [inv. num. M-15]
Mail Sleeve 16th century
Formed of small rings with an inside diameter slightly over 5/32 inch. round section wire was used to make these rings. The rings in the body section are thicker than the rings at the end of the sleeves. In the body the wire is app. .038 in in diameter, the end of the sleeve is .029. The outside diameter of the rings is app. .240 in. With area covering the shoulder and armpit, full sleeve with bend at the elbow and tapering to the form of the arm. Iron rings of round cross section all riveted. The flattened area at the rivet is slightly bevelled on both sides forming a cross section that is roughly a diamond shape. Wedge rivets flush on the inside and forming a shallow point on the outside. Very small rings. Decorative border of copper alloy (brass) rings at the edge of the gusset and at the wrist. Border of alternating solid and riveted rings of 4 rows of solid and 3 rows of riveted rings. Small and medium losses, but overall form remains. Butted rings have been added to stabilize the fabric. The total surface area is 507 sq. inches, given the density of the mail this means that there are app. 24,350 rings. It weighs app. 4 lb. 9.5 oz. (2175 g).The sleeve is tailored using a line of reductions on the upper arm running in a line from near the corner of the cross-grain joint of the armpit to a place just shy of the elbow. It also has two lines of row reductions in the forearm. This sleeve is somewhat shorter than the other one and more dense. Analysis, repairs and marking by Robert MacPherson.
Detail images show the edge of the shoulder area over an inch scale. Microscopic images: the first shows the exterior view of the riveted rings, the second shows the interior of the riveted rings, the third shows a sprung ring wih the rivet intact. Microscopic images and analysis by Mart Shearer. [inv. num. M-16]
European Shirt of mail 15th century
Most of a shirt of mail. One sleeve missing. It may have been cut away to form a gusset. The remains of the shirt have very nice details. The shirt includes a standing collar formed of heavier rings. The wire from which these rings were formed is thicker than the main body rings and the overlap for the rivet is even larger. This makes it stiff enough to stand up and protect the neck. The remaining sleeve is short. It does not seem to be due to loss. There are a few brass rings at the lower edge showing that the original form remains. The bottom edge is asymetric. The back is shorter than the front. There is a central slit in the front. Rings with noticeable swelling at the rivet. The rings are vaguely triangular in section. The inside is flat, the front is beveled slightly throughout the ring, more aggresively at the rivet overlap. Some rings obviously attached with wedge rivets, others not as clear. The inside of the rivet is flush with the body of the ring, the outside forms a nice head. Brass rings at the bottom edge have iron rivets. Measurements in mm, but the scale shown in the images is in inches. The last image includes some nice details near the center including a ring with overlapped but un-punched, a ring where most of the rivet is lost so the wedge shaped hole is visible and a bent ring. It appears that there are several un-punched rings in this area, they may represent patching.
Weight: 4880g (in its current state)
Measurements of individual rings taken on the long straight edge from the standing collar, top of the body and bottom (all likely after significant rust):
Rings in the neck: od:10.8 across, 10.1 rivet to opposite, id across 7.4, 1.5 round wire swelling to 3.4 wide and 3.5 tall at the rivet. Measured on the "loose" upper corner ring.
Rings at the top of the body: od:11.2 across, 10.5 rivet to opposite, id across 7.5, 1 thick and 1.4-1.5 wide except at the rivet where it swells to 2.6 wide and 2.2 tall.
bottom edge: od:10.3 across, 10.2 rivet to opposite, id:7.5, .9 thick, 1.3-1.6 wide swelling to 2.2 at the rivet. [inv. num. M-10]
Brigandine plates 14th-16th century
Brigandine plates. 14 small and 2 larger plates from a brigandine. The two large plates are 6 1/4 and 6 1/2 inches long, and just over 3/4 inches wide. They have a row of closely-spaced rivets at the upper edge. The rivets are app. 3/8 inch on center. The smaller plates are also slightly over 3/4 inches tall. Most are app. 1 1/2 inches long. The smaller plates fall into 2 types. 13 are rectangular/trapezoidal with (generally) 2 rivets at the upper edge. The last plate is oval and has 3 rivets which are of a different form - larger, flatter heads. The plates vary signifcantly in curvature. Many seem to have been flattened or bent after their working life. [inv. num. A-103]
Brigandine plates 15th-16th c
From the Thames at the Queensbury Dock, near Southwark bridge. Composed of 4 different plates, varying in size. One with star-decorated rivets. Two with capped rivets. One larger with many rivets. [inv. num. A40-43]