Two pauldrons nearly forming a pair, for infantry use, composed of elements of a similar period and fashion. Each formed of six medially-ridged lames that overlap outwards from the third which is slightly shaped to the point of the shoulder. The first to third lames extend inwards over the chest and the back. The third lame is expanded downwards to the level of the fifth lame, except at the rear of the right pauldron where it extends down to the level of the middle of the sixth lame. The expanded portions have strongly rounded lower, inner corners and are flanged at their outer edges where they overlap the lames beneath them. The fourth to sixth lames extend only to the inside of the arm. The first to third lames of each pauldron are connected to one another at their front and rear ends by modern, round-headed rivets with circular internal washers. A hole pierced in the second lame of the right pauldron, just to the outside of its front rivet, is now plugged with an externally-flush rivet, but since it occurs at a cusp in the lower edge of the lame, may represent the original articulation-point of that lame. A pair of holes pierced in the same lame, a short distance to the inside of its front rivet, are now vacant, but may originally have served to attach an internal leather. The third to sixth lames are connected to one another by modern, round-headed sliding-rivets with circular, internal washers at their rear ends, and by modern internal leathers at their front ends and centres. The leathers are secured by single rivets which are externally-flush, except for those in the third lame which are round-headed with circular internal washers. The rivet that secures the central leather of the left pauldron to its third lame does not align with those in the lames beneath it. A hole pierced in the same lame, just above and to the inside of the rivet that secures its front leather to it, is now plugged with an externally-flush rivet, but may originally have served to retain an internal leather. Holes pierced in the third lame of the left pauldron, just to the rear of the rivets that respectively secure its front and central rivets to it, are both now plugged with externally-flush rivets, but may each originally have served as one of a pair of rivet-holes that secured the leathers. A small wiring-hole and a slot for a sliding-rivet is pierced in the fourth and fifth lames of the right pauldron, just in front of the rivets that secure the front leather to it. That in the fifth lame is now partially plugged by an externally-flush rivet. The apex of the right pauldron is pierced with a single large, circular hole, and the apex of the left pauldron, with a pair of diagonally-aligned large, circular holes that serve to suspend the pauldrons from the hinged studs issuing from each side of the collar with which they are now associated. The upper hole in the left pauldron is probably modern. The other two holes probably represent enlarged rivet-holes for the attachment of the buckles that would originally have served to suspend the pauldrons from straps issuing from each side of the collar. Part of the composite three-quarter armour HEN.M.11A-H-1933
History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex
J.S. Henderson Bequest
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart
16th Century, Late
Production date:
circa
AD 1580
Differences in the depths of their third lames indicate that the pauldrons do not form an exact pair. Plugged rivet-holes in the third lames, and misalignments between the leathering-rivets of the third and fourth lames, indicate that the lower three lames of each pauldron are associated with the upper three lames. The lowest must in fact have been cut and reworked to bring them to their present form. This is indicated by the different character of their internal surfaces, their freshly cut edges, and the presence of vacant holes and slots at the front end of the fourth and fifth lames of the right pauldron. The position of the slots in those lames suggest that they may originally have belonged to a left pauldron.
North Italian
The pauldrons are bright with a light to medium patination overall, with some small patches of heavier patination and pitting.
Internal Leathers
composed of
leather
( modern)
Left Pauldron
Depth 31.2 cm
Height 26.4 cm
Weight 0.93 kg
Width 19.7 cm
Right Pauldron
Depth 32.5 cm
Height 24.3 cm
Weight 0.95 kg
Width 19.8 cm
Decoration
Parts
Pauldron Lames
Hammering
: Each formed of six medially-ridged lames that overlap outwards from the third which is slightly shaped to the point of the shoulder; hammered, shaped, riveted, with file-roped
Patinating
Forming
Accession number: HEN.M.11F-1933
Primary reference Number: 17818
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Pauldrons" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/17818 Accessed: 2024-11-08 16:32:03
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/17818
|title=Pauldrons
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-08 16:32:03|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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