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]

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]