Backplate (body armour): M.1.1D-1936

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

• Backplate (body armour)
• Skirt

Categories

• Armour

Description

Backplate with skirt. For light field use, decorated with fluting in the Maximilian fashion. Formed of a main plate, a pair of side-plates, a waist-plate and a skirt of four lames. The straight neck-opening, the arm-opening and the lower edge of the skirt have plain, partial inward turns accompanied by recessed borders. The lateral edges of the main plate diverge upwards and outwards to bisect the arm-openings. They overlap the inner edges of the side-plates and are secured to them by three round-headed rivets with octagonal, internal washers in each case. A modern buff-leather strap is attached at each shoulder by a pair of flat-headed rivets with octagonal, external washers. The hole for the inner of the rivets that retain the right strap has broken out at its lower edge. A later hole pierced between the pair of rivets that retain the right strap is plugged with an externally-flush rivet. The centre of the neck-opening is pierced with a pair of lace-holes. The main plate is decorated, except at its sides, with seventeen flutes which are emphasised by pairs of incised lines and diverge upwards and outwards to the neck and arm-openings. The side-plates have strongly rounded lower outer corners. Fitted within the lower edge the main plate and the inner ends of the lower edge of the side-plates is a waist-plate which is deeply notched at each side, flanged outwards to receive a skirt, and decorated at its angle with a transverse incised line. The waist-plate is secured to the main plate at either side by a pair of modern, round-headed rivets with octagonal, internal washers. The left rivet occupies a later hole pierced just below the original hole which now remains vacant. Secured by modern, flat-headed rivets with octagonal washers at either end of the waist-plate, just above its angle, are a pair of modern buff-leather straps that fasten around the front of the breastplate by means of a double-ended, tongued, iron buckle with a roller that is attached to the end of the left strap with a single flat-headed rivet. The buckle is decorated with elaborate filed ornament. The left end of the waist-plate is cracked along its angle. The crack has been repaired with a riveted internal patch. The flange of the waist-plate is fitted with a skirt of three upward-overlapping lames of which the third is deeper than the rest and has a slightly convex lower edge. The skirt leaves the sides exposed. The lames are connected to one another and the waist-plate by round-headed rivets with octagonal, internal washers at their outer ends, and an internal leather attached to each lame by a single rivet at its centre. The right outer rivet that connects the first lame to the waist-plate lacks its washer. The rivets that attach the central leather are externally-flush, except on the third lame where it is round-headed with an octagonal, internal washer. The upper end of the central leather is missing where it was attached to the waist-plate. The skirt is decorated, except at its sides, with fifteen flutes which are emphasised by pairs of incised lines and diverge downward and outwards to its lower border. Part of the composite armour M.1.1A-H-1936

Notes

History note: Stated in the manuscript catalogues of the Stead Collection to have come from a Dresden collection. Mrs E.W. Stead and Mr Gilbert Stead of Dalston Hall, Cumberland.

Legal notes

Given by Mrs E.W. Stead and Mr Gilbert Stead

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1936-01-15) by Stead, E. W. and Gilbert

Dating

16th Century, Early#
Circa 1510 CE - 1515 CE

Note

The backplate and skirt are bright with patches of heavy patination within a lighter patina overall.