This and the next piece came together. With these we now had access to a shoulder, arm and gauntlet. This let us build two suits with a lot more information about the actual form of 16th century armor. The arm illustrates the turning collar, decorative details and a bracelet elbow cop. The geometry of these elements is very ticklish and playing with one for a while really helped us understand them enough to make pieces that worked and looked right.
Arm harness circa 1540-60
Formed of an upper and lower vambrace articulated by means of one lame below and one lame above to the bracelet cop. The upper vambrace includes a turning collar which was originally directly attached by a sliding rivet at the back and two leathers to the pauldron. Rolled and roped borders at the wrist and on the edge of the wing. Simple outward rolls at the inner edge of the upper and lower vambraces (at the elbow). Elbow of very pointed form with full bracelet wing. Horizontal raised and roped ridge on the outside from the point of the elbow to the center of the wing. Iron rivets with brass caps articulating the plates and attaching the hinge for the lower vambrace.
Turning collar 4 3/4' in diameter. Lower vambrace 9 3/8' long at the longest point.
Upper cannon .030-.050' thick, lower cannon more even .030-.040' thick. [inv. num. A-27]