Front plate of a Gorget 1620
Probably French. Originally part of a gorget that would have had one plate front and back. The gorget would have been worn without a breastplate - it extends down the chest and it has a full roll at the edge. This would have formed the front of the gorget. The single plate is flared to form a short integral neck protection and it extends down over the chest. The neck and outer edge have a narrow, straight, plain inward turned roll. The outer edge has a parallel raised ridge. The front is decorated with a spray of 6 embossed, tapered bands that end in blunt points. Each is engraged with five lines. The neck, ends of the bands and outer border are decorated with sets of three copper alloy capped rivets. This style of decoration with rivets is typical of the 17th c. This style of gorget was normally worn over clothing or a buff coat and without a breastplate.
The piece is very small. It was likely made for a child. The final image shows it with a full sized gorget to be worn in a similar manner.
I have found a gorget displayed with an armour for Louis XIII (inv. G.123 in the Musee de L'Armee) dated to app. 1630 which is decorated in a very similar (but definitely not identical) manner. The gorget is displayed worn over the breastplate. This is atypical, but given the decoration on the gorget understandable. It also has a longer form and full roll at the border so it is possible that this piece might have been worn with a breastplate in the same manner.
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This site last updated Wed Sep 03 16:34:35 EDT 2025