Thomas Del Mar - Arms & Armour

258
A COMPOSITE SOUTH GERMAN FLUTED HALF-ARMOUR
FOR FIELD USE IN THE SO-CALLED ‘MAXIMILIAN’
FASHION, CIRCA 1510-20
comprising close helmet formed of a broad rounded onepiece
skull with ‘bellows’ visor and bevor attached by a pair
of low-domed common pivots, the visor prominently
stepped beneath its centrally-divided vision-slit, pierced in
three rows with ten horizontal ventilation-slots and fitted at
its right side with a lifting-peg, the bevor flanged outwards
at its lower edge to form a short neck-guard (slightly
trimmed at its centre, the flange and left side of the bevor
each showing riveted and brazed repairs) and secured to
the right side of the skull by a spring-catch (push-button
replaced), and one lame of a rear neck-guard (incomplete
right end missing), collar of four lames front and rear (the
top front lame with a later hole at the centre, the lowest
front lame with a large patch at the left side, the lowest rear
lame with minor chips and cracks at its main edges),
breastplate formed of a rounded main plate pierced at its
right side with a pair of holes for the attachment of a lancerest
and fitted with moveable gussets at the arm-openings
and a flanged lame at the waist, the latter restored at its
outer ends with riveted patches and bearing a stud and
turning-pin for the attachment of a fauld of three lames the
lowest of which supports a pair of tassets each of four
lames (partly reworked), backplate formed of a main plate,
a pair of side-plates and a waist-lame, the latter flanged
outwards to receive a culet of one lame indented at the
centre of its lower edge, the upper edge of the main plate
stuck with an indistinct mark, probably the quality control
mark of the city of Nuremberg, spaudlers almost forming a
pair, each comprised of seven lames overlapping outwards
from the third (the front of the second lame of the left one
repaired with a riveted internal patch) and connected by a
turner to a fully articulated vambrace formed of a tubular
upper and lower cannon (the lower one in each case
repaired at its inside with a large riveted internal patch)
each fitted at the inside of the elbow with a pair of narrow
lames (the upper one of the lower cannon in each case
missing) and connected by a couter of five lames
112
overlapping outwards from the third which is decorated on
the point of the elbow with an embossed and crosshatched
cinquefoil and has a small bilobate wing at the
front fitted with a turning pin to secure a larger overlying
detachable oval wing with a medial pucker, and gauntlets
almost forming a pair, each comprised of a short straightended
cuff with a hinged inner plate (the right one now
held shut by a later rivet), five metacarpal-plates, a knuckleplate,
five finger-plates and a hinged thumb-defence of
three lames, the armour decorated overall with groups of
flutes emphasised by pairs of incised lines, and at its main
edges with inward turns, mainly plain but in some cases
roped, and often accompanied by recessed borders
(moderate pitting and wear overall, some cracks and
perforations): stand not included
Inv. no. A53.
The helmet forming part of this armour very likely derives
from a group of fluted close helmets that were deposited
as booty in the Imperial Arsenal of St Irene in Istanbul,
probably taken from the Knights of St John at Rhodes
when they surrendered to the Ottoman Turkish forces of
Suleyman the Magnificent in 1522. A high proportion of the
helmets have had their neck-lames and the lower edges of
their bevors removed, as in the present case. Four are still
preserved in the Askeri Museum, Istanbul. See S. W. Pyhrr
1989, pp. 89 & 94, figs 8 & 17. Another is preserved in the
Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, II.14. See A. R. Dufty &
W. Reid 1968, pl. XC.c.
The embossed and cross-hatched cinquefoils on the points
of the elbows and detachable wings on the couters of the
armour described here closely resemble those preserved
as part of a composite ‘Maximilian’ armour in Leeds. Very
similar detachable wings can also be recorded on a pair of
‘Maximilian’ vambraces formerly in the armoury of Schloss
Kefermarkt, Upper Austria, and the collection of the late
Stephen V. Grancsay, New York.
£25000-30000