Half Suit 1590
Composed. Etched in the Pisan fashion. Pieces well matched in size and etching pattern. Consisting of a gorget of two plates (upper lames missing), a breastplate of deep peascod form, asymmetrical pauldrons, arms and a gauntlet for the left hand. The breastplate is missing its gussets. The form of the pieces represent very nice examples of the typical very late 16th century form.
Burgonet: Once piece skull rising to a high comb and extended at the front and back to form a brim and tail. Small cheek plates at each side. Etched in the Pisan manner. When purchased coated in old, browned varnish with some rust underneath. After cleaining, the surface is in reasonable shape with most of the etching remaining with good detail. There is some brazed repair to the top of the crest and a larger soldered repair to a small portion of one side of the crest. The point of the brim is slighly bent. Cheek plates not quite a pair. Nice full form with high comb and small cheekplates typical of the style. Currently displayed on the half suit item number A-249.
Gorget: Composed of a single plate front and rear of rounded form. Decorated with etched cabled bands filled with trophies-or-armour in the style typically described as 'Pisan'. Patches at the ends of the front plate at the pivot and closure. Originally would have had an additional pair of small neck plates.
Breastplate: Italian. Of deep peascod form with a roll at the neck and a flare at the waist. Etched in typical Pisan fashion. Gussets lacking. Flair would have originally carried a fauld of (most likely) one lame.
Arms: Italian. Good quality Italian arm harness and pauldrons etched in the characteristic Pisan fashion. Assymetrical pauldrons the left covering more than the right. Formed of a main plate overlapping two plates above and four smaller plates below. The lower plates on sliding rivets at the back and leathers at the center and front. The top most plates secured by pivoting rivets at the front and back. The next plate is secured to the main plate by a pivoting rivet at the back and a leather at the front and in the center of the back. Left formerly fitted with a mount for a reinforce. Arms with tubular upper cannons, two piece lower cannons connected by a bracelet couter with one lame above and one below the cop. The upper incorporating a turning collar, the upper section with two smaller plates articulated at the ends. Etching in bands along borders and at the center of each element primarily consisting of cable patterns and trophies of arms. Some leathers replaced, others missing. Some later rivets used to secure plates in the pauldrons. Some loss at the back of the left pauldron and some wear in the etching in the center of the back of the left pauldron.
Gauntlet: Italian. Good quality Italian gauntlet for the left hand (fingers and thumb missing) etched in the characteristic Pisan fashion. One piece cuff joined with a rivetted overlap at the inside of flared form with inward turned, roped roll at the edge and a parallel raised, roped line with etching in between. Plain inward turn at the wrist. Back of hand covered by 5 plates and a knuckle plate with rounded areas over each knuckle. Hand plates with internal assembly marks in the form of 5 chisel marks at the edge. Retains some gilding. Ends of the metacarpal plates at the thumb side with multiple decorative notches, single notches on the opposite side. Associated with a lower quality modern copy of a right gauntlet with similar etching. Modern copy not forming a pair.
Tasset: Italian. Good quality tasset etched in the characteristic Pisan fashion. Formed of 13 plates - larger ones at the top and bottom and 11 narrow ones. Border with inward turned ropped rolls. Bottom plate with additional raised and roped ridge terminating in two raised medallions near the center. Retains some gilding. All rivets removed. Currently secured by temporary bolts.
Composed of a gorget item number A-149, breastplate item number A-235, arms and pauldrons item number A-242, burgonet item number A-301 and the left gauntlet from item number A-244. Displayed with a single tasset item number A-243.
If you have any questions, please send them to Wade Allen
This site last updated Mon Dec 27 11:29:14 EST 2021