Skirt: HEN.M.4C-1933

Maker(s)

Armourer: Siebenbürger, Valentin (Probably)

Entities

• Skirt
• Tassets

Categories

• Armour

Description

Skirt and tassets. For field use, decorated with etched borders. Formed of a skirt of three upward-overlapping lames, and a pair of tassets, each of five upward-overlapping lames, of which the lowest is deeper than the rest, and has a strongly convex lower edge. The lames of both the skirt and the tasset are transversely curved. The lower edge of the third lame of the skirt is flanged outwards between the tassets, where it forms the top section of an arch over the crotch. The lames of the skirt are connected to one another by modern, round-headed sliding-rivets with octagonal internal washers at their outer ends, and by modern internal leathers midway along each side. The leathers are secured to the first and second lames by pairs of externally-flush rivets, and to the third lame by single externally-flush rivets. The lames of the tassets are connected to one another and to the lowest skirt-lame by modern, round-headed rivets with octagonal internal washers at their outer ends, and by modern internal leathers at their inner ends and centres. The rivets at the outer ends are all sliding-rivets with the exception of those that connect the first lame of each tasset to the lowest lame of the skirt. The leathers are secured to the lames of the tassets by pairs of rivets, and to the lowest lame of the skirt by single rivets. All the rivets are externally-flush, except for those in the lowest lame of each tasset, and those that secure the inner leathers to the lowest lames of the skirt, which are round-headed with octagonal internal washers. The rivets that secure the inner leathers to the lowest lame of the skirt now incorrectly pass through construction-holes in the overlying first lames of the tassets, thereby rigidly connecting the relevant lames to one another. The construction-holes would originally have been occupied by purely decorative, round-headed rivets such as those that occupy the construction-holes in the second to fifth lames of the tassets aligning with the medial of the pairs of rivets that secure the inner leathers. Vacant holes occurring in all three lames of the first four lames of each skirt and tasset, just to the inside of the rivets that now connect them to one another at their outer ends, and a round-headed rivet occurring in the fifth lame of each tasset, just beneath them, suggest that the lames were at one time connected to one another at their outer ends by internal leathers rather than sliding-rivets. As slight steps occur between the outer edges of the skirt and the outer edges of the tassets, is seems likely that the latter were not originally permanently attached to the former. The tassets were probably originally attached to the skirt by a pair of straps and buckles at each side, now represented only by vacant rivet-holes in the relevant lames. A pair of later holes are pierced just to the outside of the hole for the attachment of the outer strap of the right tasset, and a single later hole is pierced just to the outside of the hole for the attachment of the outer strap of the left tasset. Each end of the first lame of the skirt is pierced with a keyhole-slot that served to accommodate a turning-pin riveted to the waist-flange of its breastplate. Each side of the lowest lame of each tasset is fitted with an externally-flush rivet that may have served to retain a leather loop that allowed the tasset to be laced around the leg. Part of the composite half armour HEN.M.4A-D-1933

Notes

History note: From the collection of Seymour Lucas. Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

16th Century
Production date: circa AD 1540

Note

The main edges of the skirt and tassets have file-roped inward turns accompanied by a recessed border and a narrow groove separated by a raised rib. The recessed border is etched with a design of running vine leaves involving cornucopia, a roundel and an inverted helmet, all on a stippled and blackened ground.

The skirt and tassets are bright with a light patination overall.

Valentin Siebenbürger of Nuremberg