Side plate from a German cuisse circa 1470-90
This plate provided additional protection for the side of the leg. 12' tall. Holes for attachment of hinges and other plates. Point at the top over the hole used to attach the upper plates. Beveled top edge.
.038 - .060' thick. Generally thicker toward the top. Mostly .040-.050'. Part of the rear edge is cracked. It shows no sign of deformation, it seems to have fractured cleanly. This suggests that the plate was formed from steel and hardened.
Not for sale.
Cuisse for the left leg circa 1510
Spanish (possibly Flemish or Italian). Formed of a short cuisse plate, a long demi-greave, a central cop and two lames above and below the cop. All formed with a central crease. The cuisse plate slightly boxed and the outside and dished to conform to the thigh. The upper edge of the cuisse bordered by a recessed band and hollow roll. The cop with a raised central ridge and another bridging the transition from the cop to the wing. The wing with a recessed border. The demi-greave cut away on the inside of the bottom and bordered by a recessed band and roll similar to the top of the cuisse. The outside cut off straight. A single buckle remains on the outside of the demi-greave. There are rivets for securing straps and buckles on the cuisse and knee cop. Sold from the Parsons collection as late 15th c. but the character of the piece - forms of the rolls and boxing much more closely approximates 1510 - similar in many ways to the cuisses on Henry VIII's Silvered and Engraved armour. It appears that this was likely originally rough from the hammer and would likely have been blackened. This is very similar in form to the knees illustrated in Albert F Calvert - Spanish Arms and Armour - plates 17(b) and 99. They are described as late 15th c. Other similar items can be seen in Mann - Notes on the Armour Worn in Spain - Archaeologia LXXXIII for 1933 p. 300 fig. 7 and item #183 in the Kretzschmar von Kienbusch Collection of Armor and Arms 1963 - again identified as late 15th century Spanish. There are also two similar pairs in the Harding Collection in Chicago. One of these has been adapted to appear to have a more 15th c. style. One pair and one left very similar pairs are illustrated in armamento Medieval No Espaco Portugues items 21 and 22. These come from Lisboa Museu Militar Inv. MML numbers 21/37 and 21/69. 21/69 is nearly identical to this item..
Provenance: Dr. Peter Parsons Collection (2011), Brian Powers (1980)
Measurements - 15 in. overall height - others on the image. Thickness - cuisse .060-.070 in. cop .050-.060 in. demi-greave .040-.050 in.
Not for sale.
Pair of Cuisses circa 1540
A pair. Consisting of a one piece cuisse shaped to the thigh with central crease and bold inward turned roped roll at the top. Poleyn of 4 plates, the cop deeply dished with a large wing on the outside, wing with inward turned roped rolled edge. One small articulating lame above and below the cop and a terminal plate with an inward turned roped roll on the bottom edge. Some old repairs - one cop has a patched hole and one has the wing re-attached. A nice example of a plain armour of the mid 16th century. In uncleaned condition from an English household. Later research indicates that this household is Helmingham Hall in Suffolk. Similar in many ways to the right cuisse that survives in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen inventoried as #139 in ARMS , ARMOUR IN THE COLLECTION OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN - inventory number RCIN 72868 and identified as probably Flemish 1540.
Weight (left): 1 pound 14.6 ounces (860g).
Measurements: 15 in. tall overall (measured on the left cuisse, straight). Left cuisse thickness .029-.050 in. Most common measurements .032-.038. Lower small lame .024-.041 generally .032. Terminal lame .031-.039. Cop .036-.062, wing .036-.052. upper lame app. .030.
Not for sale.
Pair of greaves mid 16th c.
Nuremberg. Formed of two plates, front and rear. Nicely shaped to the leg. The plates are joined at the outside by a pair of inset hinges and at the inside by two strips of leather that would be laced together. The hinges are secured to the inside of the plates. They sit behind the edge of the front plate and are set into cut outs in the rear plate. The edges of the plates are filed with small decorative notches at the hinges. This style of greave was usually used for the joust. It allows a little more flexibility in size and can offer some more contact with the horse. Mail added later, cut from a piece of near or middle eastern mail. Mail at the feet was common on Italian armours, but this is likely a later adaptation. The strips of leather on the inside are late 19th c. or early 20th c. Leather showing signs of the red rot that is typical of leathers of that period. They reflect the correct original construction with strips of leather with lace holes. Each marked internally near the top with pearled gothic N mark of Nuremberg. This is similar to the example illustrated with Royal Armouries II.4 on plate XVII of "European Armour in the Tower of London" by Dufty. The pearled N mark seems to have been used internally sometimes in conjuction with the more typical shield mark on the exterior, in this case without any other marks.
Not for sale.
Tasset circa 1550-60
For the right leg. Rough from the hammer. Formed of nine plates, the top plate formed to fit to the base of the fauld, the lowest plate cupped to cover the knee. Currently plates secured by sliding rivets at the outside, remains of leather at the center and solid rivets on the inside. The solid rivets would have originally been another leather. The top plate has three buckles which are used to strap the tassets to the fauld. The center buckle has been replaced, likely after its working life. Displayed as part of item number A-1.
Not for sale.
Tasset circa 1550-60
For the left leg. Rough from the hammer. Formed of eleven plates, the top plate formed to fit to the base of the fauld, the lowest plate cupped to cover the knee. Currently plates secured by sliding rivets at the outside, remains of leather at the center and solid rivets on the inside. The solid rivets would have originally been another leather. The top plate has three buckles which are used to strap the tassets to the fauld. Displayed as part of item number A-1.
Not for sale.
Two knee length tassets circa 1550-60
One for the right, the other for the left. Each formed of eight plates. The plates are secured by two internal leathers, one at the front, the other at the center and a row of sliding rivets at the outside. The edges bordered by rolls, recesses and a raised decorated line in the middle of the recess. The rolls are all full inward turned rolls stepped at the overlap to allow the plates to sit flush. The top plate shaped to the bottom of the fauld, the lowest lame shaped to the knee and embossed with leaf form decoration. The plates for each are marked with internal assembly marks consisting of notches on the inside of the plates at the bottom edge between the central leather and the sliding rivets. On the left the notches go from 2 to 7 starting from the bottom, on the right the order is reversed - starting with one notch on the top plate and ending with seven on the plate above the embossed knee plate.
This style of decoration is associated with higher quality black and white armors from the mid 16th century. See item number A-96, item number A-30a and item number A-241 for other examples of similar decoration in the Allen collection. Similar items in Graz and Churburg we made by Michael Witz the younger and Sebasian Katzmair.
Buckles removed relatively recently. Some losses to the embossing. Each shows signs of having been adapted from a different, earlier style. The central leather covers a hammered out recessed band which had a central crease and the third lame from the top has a roll across much of its bottom edge. The existence of keyholes at the rivets, a spare hole next to one rivet and no slot on the bottom of the third plate shows that in the previous form the tassets could have been separated into upper and lower sections in the same fashion as item number A-181. In this form, the tassets were likely black and white. The medial edge on the right is cut around the crotch, the left is cut straight.
For fun, the first three images show the same tassets, but in very different lighting. The first appears to be outdoors under sunlight. The second is inside a light tent with two softbox lights, and the third used the same softbox lights but without the tent. Getting pictures of shiny armor can be challenging.
Not for sale.
Greaves circa 1560
Flemish. Covering the front and outside of the shin and calf. Right from the period, left of somewhat heavier form and possibly more recently made to match. Atypically for a copy the right includes equivalent adaptations in the methods used to secure the greaves to the cuisses and the material thickness also varies. It is possible that both are from the period, it would be reasonable for the left to be thicker. From the George F. Harding Collection. Thickness - right generally .035 - .045 with some areas as thin as .025 and some thicker areas app. .050. Left generally closer to .060 with some thinner areas app. .050 and some thick areas close to .070.
Not for sale.
Pair of knee length tassets circa 1560-70
Black and white. Formed of eight lames with detachable poleyns of 4 lames. The tassets are divisible between the fourth and fifth lames. The bright band at the center is bordered by narrow recesses, the borders on the side are recessed with a narrow raised edge simulating a roll on the outside and a small roped inward turned roll on the inside. There are white bands down the middle and on each side. There are three buckles on each for suspension from the fauld. The segments are secured by keyhole slots and pins on the outside and pins with hooks on the inside. Decorated with original brass rosette washers and a few replaced pewter rosettes. There are remains of a leather strap at the edge of the outside. This would have been used to limit the motion of the sliding rivets or possibly to secure a lining. The image of the separate pieces of the right tasset with the poleyn from the outside shows the knee at full bend. Both tassets include marks which are likely to identify the matching tassets among others - 7 punched marks on the lowest lame of each section that separates and on the wing of the cop. A very similar pair from the same source: item number A-356.
Provenance: Brunswick Ducal Armoury - Wolfenbuttel, Schloss Marienburg.
The form, style of decoration, decorative washers and way the parts are secured are the same as the elbows on item number 18 in the exhibition of Brunswick armour at the Tower of London April 10-Oct. 31 1952. These have been painted to mimic more typical black and white armor decoration while the ones in the exhibit are all white except for the narrow lines.
Not for sale.
Pair of Tassets circa 1560-70
North German, Brunswick. Each formed of 8 lames which can be separated between the fourth and fifth lames. Extended by a detatchable poleyne of four lames, the third forming the cop. Each with three buckles for suspension from straps on the fauld, mounted with decorated plates (three on the left well matched and almost certainly original, one on the right well matched, one broken and likely a contemporary replacement the third cruder and either associated or, more likely, modern). Lower edges of the two tasset sections with inward turned rolled borders with a narrow recessed band. Medial edge of the plates continues this full inward turned roll. The rolls are terminated on each lame where the next plate overlaps to allow the plates to align nicely at rest. Lateral edge with a false roll just formed as a bump. This continues for the full height of each lame because it can overlap and not interfere with the fit of the plates. The medial roll extends along the edges of the poleynes and down on the lower edge. The lateral bump extends along the edge of the top plate of the poleyne. The lowest plate does not have either on its lateral edge. The cop includes an oval wing with central pucker and full inward turn at the edge. The top edges of the tasset plates and top and bottom of the cop have a bevelled edge which still shows signs of original file/grind marks. Rivets with (possibly later) pewter rosettes. Some delamination. Good hammered internal surface. Exterior almost certainly originally bright. Plates secured by internal central and medial leathers (secured to each plate by pairs of rivets) and sliding rivets laterally. Left retains the additional internal leather past the sliding rivets. The right has lost most of this leather, but we can see the holes or rivets that would have secured it. Interestingly, there are pairs of holes in the two upper poleyne lames for a (missing) internal leather, mimicing tasset construction and different from many knee lames. Retains a (later) strap and buckle at the center of each knee cop. Rivets, holes and bits of leather show where there would have been another strap at the bottom of the bottom lame of the poleyne and around the leg at the seventh lame. Leathers broken in some places. Some leathers likely working life, others appear to be more modern replacements. Segments joined with a large keyhole on the lateral side engaging a stepped, domed head rivet and a smaller keyhole engaging a turning pin on the medial side. The tassets can be worn as displayed, or as short or long tassets. A very similar pair from the same source: item number A-181.
Thickness: measured on a few plates of the left varies between .060 and .022 inch, generally the top lame is app. .055, the next lames .035. Knee cop app. .045 with some thicker areas on the wing.
Weight: Right 3 pounds 8.4 ounces (1600g), left 3 pounds 10.4 ounces (1650g).
Provenance: Brunswick Ducal Armoury - Wolfenbuttel, Schloss Marienburg, Property from the Hanoverian Royal Collections sold Olympia Auctions 8 Dec. 2010 lot 169.
Not for sale.
German Greave plate (front) late 16th cent
Originally part of a complete cased greave. Designed to be worn with a full legharness and mail sabatons. Greave has good shape and terminates at the ankle where it has a rolled edge and a series of small holes for the attachment of the mail sabaton. The turning hook used to secure it to the lower plate of the poleyn remains. There is a brass collection tag with the number c. 27, and a paper one with the number c. 57. This was originally a very nice piece - it has a wide etched bands of decoration at the center and narrow bands at each edge. There are remnants of gilt in the etching. This style of greave built for use with a mail sabaton was often used in Italy. The style of etching is associated with Augsburg Germany. The pattern of the central band and the edges is nearly identical to the pattern on pieces of a surviving garniture with etching attriuted to Jorg Sorg the younger. Parts of this garniture survive in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1977.167.109a-n), Metropolitan Museum of Art (04.3.278) and the Musee de l'Armee (K.Po.2341). In that case there are additional tulip heads issuing into the plain areas from the bands. This would definitely not be part of that garniture, but it is quite likely by the same etcher. The picture of the breastplate is of the piece in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It illustrates the likely appearance of the etching when it was new. The etched decoration is app. 1/2' wide at the sides. The central band tapers from app. 2 1/8' to 1 1/2'.
Height 12 in. at the center crease, 4 1/2' wide at the calf, 3' wide at the ankle.
Varies between .018' and .036' thick. It is generally thicker near the ankle and thinner at the calf.
Not for sale.
Two Cuisses (part) Late 16th c.
Augsburg. Typical of the form of well made armors. Not a pair, but of the same style. In each case with a polyene of five plates the third overlapping the others. Central plate formed to the knee and extended at the lateral edge to a wing. Cuisses of four (right) and two (left - top plates missing,top remaining one associated) plates. Cuisse separates between the bottom and next plate. Most rivets with dapped copper alloy caps. Inward turned full rolls stepped where plates overlap on the primary edges. Roll at the edge of the wings with a tapered recess. Each wing with with a central cusp. Upper cuisse plates originally secured with sliding rivets laterally and leathers at the center and medial edge. Rivets also remain for a narrower leather around the outer edge of the cuisse. The main cuisse plate and first lame of the poleyene also have rivets for an internal central leather. Sections of the cuisses formerly secured by a button engaging a keyhole slot at the lateral side, two holes at the center of the lower plate which can be used as lace holes when the cuisses are worn short. When they are worn with the uppers, a pin on the upper plate engages the lateral hole. The medial side was secured with a turning pin on the upper plate engaging a keyhole in the lower plate. When tassets can be separated, the upper sections can be worn without the lower sections, so they have rolled lower edges. Upper cuisses are not worn without the lowers, so the lower edge of the upper cuisses are not rolled.
Cuisses which can be separated to be worn short or long are generally associated with garnitures and not munition armors.
These have unfortunately been somewhat adapted to form tassets. The top plate on the right has been trimmed at the upper edge and a single hole added to engage the post at the waist of a cuirassier breastplate. The left has lost its (likely two) top plates.
Weight (in their current partial state): left - 2 pounds 1.4 ounces (950g), right 2 pounds 9.4 ounces (1175g).
Similar cuisses can be found on Wallace collection item numbers A44-A48 attributed to Anton Peffenhauser. Another similar pair form part of Detroit Institute of Arts 53.196 dated to c. 1580 and attributed to Anton Peffenhauser. Similar geometry is also found on some armors attributed to Jacob Topf and dated to the 1580's in the KHM (the very high end and decorated A 1277 and the plain armor WA 772). Another similar pair form part of an armor in the Philadelphia Museum of Art - 1977-167-30.
Not for sale.
Greaves and Sabatons circa 1580
The greaves formed of two plates front and back formed to the leg hinged on the outside and secured by pins on the inside. Each with a sabaton of 9 plates (4 small plates overlapping a larger center plate then 3 smaller and terminal plate overlapping the central plate in the other direction) with terminal plate of boxed form turned over at the front and sides. Main plates creased at the center of the front and back. Sabatons creased at the center of the 4 plates closest to the greave, the crease ending in the main central plate. Small inward-turned, roped rolls formed around a wire at the bottom of the greave plates and very small, fine outward turned roll at the top of the back plate (behind the knee). The rear plate pierced with a hole for the spur. An additional plate rivetted into the inside of the plate to provide a threaded attachment for the spurs. 2 hinges on the outside of each greave. Hinges fully wrapped. The barrels cut into 4 sections (2 on each side). The ends rounded and filed to form simple flowers. Stamped with curved accents to emphasize the shape. Attached to the front and rear by one rivet each. Sabaton plates attached by sliding rivets at each side and originally 2 leather straps (one on each side of the instep, most of the inner remaining on both). Remains of leather strap in the base of the toe plate to secure sabaton to the shoe. 18 in. tall. Sabaton 11 3/4 in. from the back of the heel to the front of the toe. 80 painted inside the back plate of the right greave. From the George F. Harding Collection Thickness varies. Mostly .030 - .040, but with isolated areas that are thicker than .050.
Not for sale.
Cuisse with poleyn circa 1580
Comprising a one-piece cuisse with poleyn of 4 plates. The cop of deeply rounded form with a small wing. The edge of the cop rises to a point at the center, the outer edge of the lames are cut to form a point in the center and points over the rivets. The top edge of the cuisse, wing and bottom plate with inward-turned rolled roped edges. The rolls are fairly even, the one on the top of the cuisse does taper a little bit. The rolls on the edge of the cop wing are full rolls on the flat portion of the wing but they flatten out and finally disappear in the indented area. The cuisse is shaped to the thigh, creased at the center and has an additional raised and roped line parallel to the top edge. The leg has a band of etched decoration in the form of a set of trophies of armour flanked by roped bands along the center line. The band between the top roll and roped line is etched with a foliate design. The edges of the cop and lame are filed with a simple roped decoration and have notches at the center crease. There are single filed notches on the inner ends of the cop, lame, lower plate and cuisse. The image of the leg with the knee bent illustrates the extent of motion allowed by the armour (almost, it does move a little more under pressure). Strap mounting rivets remain near the top of the cuisse and on the cop. The lower lame has a central slot to be secured to the greave.
Height 14 1/4 in. tall.
Generally varies between .030 and .050 inch thick, mostly .035-.040 in. with some places where it is as thin as .020 in. on the lower plate.
Not for sale.
Greave circa 1580
For the left leg. Consisting of two plates, front and back joined by two inset hinges on the outside and two pins on the inside. The top pin with a hook engaging a hole in the pin. Good full form rising high at the top and fully covering the heel. Fitted with pin and staples to secure the spur. Central creases in the front and back. Recessed border at the back of the knee and at the sides of the front plate. Narrow inward turned roped border at the back of the knee and a very fine outward turned roll at the bottom edge of the rear plate. Heavily oxidized with some holing. Modern patches at ankle. Pins and lower hinge replaced.
Similar mechanisms for attaching spurs seem to be quite rare. In the 16th century, when the back of the greave extends near the base of the foot, it is common to have a slot in the back of the greave through which the spur protrudes. Another somewhat common method can be seen on item number A-124. The mechanism found here is similar to the mounts on Met. Museum of Art 19.131. The staples appear to be the same, the peg differs a little bit. The Met example is round with a hole for a pin. This example does not have a provision for a pin.
Provenance:Property of a Distinquished scholar and collector, The Duke of Atholl, Blair Castle, Knight Frank and Rutley, London 26th July 1961 Lot 237 described as Scottish, circa 1500.
Thickness varies significantly. Generally about .050 in. Thin spots .025 and at the rust hole at the upper back .15. Obvious corrosion loss. The measurements at about .050 or slightly above may be similar to the original thickness as there are some relatively smooth surface areas and there may be small remains of etching in the recessed bands.
Not for sale.
Knee lame 16th century
Central crease with filed notch decoration at crease, double incised lines at top, rolled and roped edge with recessed decoration border at one end. Border includes an additional raised line. Old crude patch and 1 remaining brass-headed rivet on the other end.
Not for sale.
Tasset circa 1610-20
Italian. With blued and gilt decoration. Separates into two parts between the ninth and tenth plate. The join formed by a keyhole and button laterally and a pin with a vertical hole (likely originally engaged by a hook, now missing) medially. The tasset formed of sixteen upward lapping plates with a poleyn of five plates. The top plate is boxed to fit to the flare at the base of the breastplate. The exposed edges of the plates with five points each and bordered by three parallel engraved lines. The cop of shallow form with a mostly flat wing. Articulated with two lames above and two lames below, the final lame larger and cut with a rounded (patched) bottom edge. Decorated with gilt rivets and engraved lines. Apparently originally the plates were attached using three internal leathers and had an additional narrow strip at the ends of the plates. Each of these leathers would have been secured by a single rivet per plate (may rivets remain for the central three leathers). Some modern patches at plate 14 and terminal plate. Leathers broken. Now loose or secured by modern bolts at the outer edges. One odd modern welded vertical strip providing some additional stability. Originally one of a pair in the Higgins Armory, the mate sold separately at a subsequent sale.
Provenance: John Woodman Higgins Armoury Inv. Nos. 927.4.a and b from Dr. Bashford Dean, Riverdale, New York, 28th September 1929
Measurements: 29 in. (61 cm) long.
Not for sale.
Pair of tassets circa 1610-20
Of large size composed of three separable portions. Ex Higgins Armory from which it was sold at Thomas DelMar March 3, 2013 lot 342 where they were described as:
each formed of twenty upward-overlapping lames divisible between the tenth and eleventh and terminating in a winged poleyn of five lames originally detachable the uppermost lame of each tasset fitted at its outer end with a later buckle and the eleventh pierced with a pair of lace-holes the main edges of the cuisses and their poleyns formed with finely file-roped inward turns bordered in the case of the uppermost lame of the cuisse with a matching roped rib and their subsidiary edges bordered by pairs of incised lines (lightly patinated overall with some small patches of active corrosion) 75 cm (29 in).
Provenance
- Cyril Andrade Ltd London No. 398 16th May 1930
- JWHA Inv. Nos. 1145.a-d
Not for sale.
German Knee with lames and terminal plate circa 1620
Almost certainly used with long, knee length tassets on a cuirassier armour. Seven total plates. Cop with central raised ridge, two narrow lames above and below the cop, one longer lame below with inward turned roll at the edge and one larger plate at the top that would transition to the tasset. All plates with chiseled line borders, rolled edges, main plates with rivet decoration. From the Boston Museum of Fine Art - including 1929 acquisition number - 1099.29 Old de-lamination in some plates, old patch to lower plate. Very similar in style and form to the knees on a three quarter armour on display in Cleveland Museum of Art on loan from the RA Inv II 98/IV.863 38.2008. Images show it in its straight and fully bent form. The minimal movement is possible because it would never have been worn with greaves. This allows the knee to be covered, but the leg can move within it. For another similar knee see item number A-155. For a full tasset of the same period see item number A-248, item number A-311 or item number A-331-f..
Not for sale.
Knee circa 1620
from a 3/4 armour comprising the knee cop, large lower lame designed for use without a greave, 2 upper lames and a third detachable lame that originally formed the lower lame of the tasset. Embossed with a flower at the center of the knee and a raised, roped ridge from the flower to the center of the wing. Main outer edges with inward-turned rolled and roped borders. Wing with a recessed border. Rivets appear to be working life rivets. Knee plates secured to the tasset plate by a keyhole engaging a rivet on the outside and a keyhole with a turning hook on the inside. Main surface rough from the hammer. Flower polished. Thickness varies between app. .035 in. and .050 .in - mostly app. .040 in. There is one sliding rivet securing the wing side of the second lame to the first lame above the knee. There are pairs of rivets for securing a leather strip in th ecenter of the first 2 lames above the knee. Both of these features mimic the normal assembly of a long tasset. Thre would have been a strap around the back of the leg on the lowest plate of the long tasset (the top remaining lame) and at the back of the knee which would have been secured by a rivet in the center of the cop on the inside and on the articulation rivet for the lower lame on the outside.
Not for sale.
Tasset circa 1620
for the right thigh. From a Cuirassier armour. Main tasset of 10 plates. The upper plate boxed to fit to the flare at the base of the breastplate and with a keyhole slot to be secured to a stud on the breastplate and a washer that secured the central strap. The bottom 8 plates with a central crease and notched at the top. Detachable poleyne of 4 plates. The third forming a cop. Recessed borders on the sides of the tasset plates. The cop and lower plate without a crease. The tasset retaining some original leathers at the center and inner edge. Poleyne secured to the tasset by a rivet engaging a keyhole slot on the outside and a small turning pin on the inside of the leg. Retains much (possibly original) russet finish. Mounting for original horizontal straps found on the seventh lame of the tasset and the center of the cop. There appears to have never been any strap to secure the terminal lame of the poleyne to the leg. I assume this means that it would have worked like a simple cupped terminal tasset lame since it would never have been worn with a greave. From the Armoury of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, removed from Schloss Langenburg.
Thickness: (taken with the slots compressed and leathers pretty flat) inside height 18 in., outside height 20in., top 11 3/4 in. wide, bottom 5 5/8 in. wide.
Thickness varies .039-.060 in. Mostly .045-.055 in.
Weight: 5 pounds 1 ounce (2295 g).
Not for sale.
Tassets circa 1620
Designed to be worn in two configurations, long and short. The two parts secured to each other by a keyhole and peg at the outside and smaller keyhole and turning pin at the center. The overall tassets extending from the base of the breastplate to covering the knee with a polyene with single lower plate. Secured to the breastplate by (newer) hinged hasps. The upper tassets formed of a larger first plate with a central horizontal crease where the line changes from that of the flare on the bottom of the breastplate to the more vertical line of the pendant tassets. This top plate is overlapped by four narrow plates and a final longer plate. The bottom edge of the final plate with a narrow inward turn bordered by a narrow semi-circular recess. This allows the front of the roll to be roughly aligned with the body of the plate so that the lower tasset plates will align correctly. The lower formed of four narrow plates with one larger plate at the bottom which carries a poleyne of 4 plates. The main poleyn plate with a rounded wing on the outside with a simple inward turned roll the cop edges forming a blunt point at the center of the top and bottom. This is articulated to the main plates by a single lame top and bottom, the center of the upper lame rising to a point mimicing that on the cop. The lowest plate formed to the knee at the top and with a simple inward turn on the lower arched edge. The tassets currently secured by a central leather and rivets at the inside and outside. The inside line of rivets would originally have been a leather. Thickness: measurements taken from the lower half of the left tasset - "large" plate above the knee lame .021-.042 in. top lame .038-.055 in. cop .034-.051 in.
Not for sale.
Knee portion of tassets mid 17th c.
Forming a pair. Each consisting of a central plate formed to the knee and extending to a wing at the lateral side. Overlapping two lames top and one lame bottom. Top with an additional large plate. Bottom with an additional plate. Edges with plain inward turned rolls. Decorated with rivets at the center of the plates. Other similar items include item number A-22, item number A-155 and complete tassets item number A-331-f.
Not for sale.
Greave circa 20 c. in fantasical style
Copper alloy, tinned or silvered. With applied decoration. Likely for theatrical use.
Not for sale.