Two Arms with pauldrons mid 16th c.
Pauldrons formed of a large main plate and two underlapping upper plates which extend forward over the chest and back over the back and two additional small plates below that underlap the central plate and connect to the upper plate of the rotating collar of the arms. The outer edges of the pauldron plates with inward turned, roped rolls and a recessed border. Each pauldron has a buckle at the center line of the top plate which would be used to secure the pauldrons to the gorget. In this instance, there is a strap securd to the inside of the pauldron that would engage the buckle. This appears to be a method that was used, but I expect that it was not done orignally on these. Arms of closed upper and lower canons articulated to elbow cops with lames above and bellow (one each on the right arm, two each on the left). Cops of deep rounded form and large wings that wrap half way around the inside of the elbow. Center of the cop with a large raised roped ridge that extends through the center of the wing. Upper canons formed of two tubular plates forming a rotating collar. Each plate closed by an overlapping and riveted seam. The upper plate with raised ridge that engages a flared edge on the top of the lower plate. Lower canons formed of two plates joined by two exterior hinges at the back and a pin on the interior plate that engages a hole in the outer plate. Each with an interior turned and roped roll at the wrist. The lames, cop and lower edge of the rotating collar on the left with cusps filed into the exposed edges.
The pauldrons well matched, almost a pair. The arms less well matched, but likely from the same period. It appears that the left arm and pauldron were originally a unit, the right likely associated - the arm and lower lames of the pauldron having been mated to the upper three lames of the pauldron. The central roped ridge and style of the wings indicate that these arms are almost certainly from the mid 16th c. and Italain or Flemish in origin.
These are well matched to item number A-1. The condition as purchased makes them look similar to item number A-114, with which they are initially displayed.
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This site last updated Wed Jul 09 21:38:05 EDT 2025