IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 17836 accession number: HEN.M.12C-1933 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Friday 8 January 2016 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: Breastplate with skirt, for heavy cavalry use, with etched decoration. Formed of a main plate of 'peascod' fashion with moveable gussets at the arm-openings, and a skirt of one lame. The broad, concave neck-opening and the gussets have bold, file-roped inward turns. The roping of the gussets appears to have been refreshed. That at the neck is bordered by a V-shaped rib retaining traces of roping. The main plate is pierced near the right armpit with a pair of vertically-aligned holes for the attachment of a lance-rest. The holes have been opened out into irregular ovals. The gussets at the arm-openings are secured to the main plate by modern, round-headed rivets at their top and bottom ends. The upper rivet of the right gusset is fitted with a square, internal washer. Each gusset is pierced around its turned edge with six holes that may at some time have served to attach a lining or a fringe. The holes can be recognised as later modifications, with the possible exception of the upper one in each case, which may have served to attach buckles for the shoulder-straps. Modern, double-ended, tongued iron buckles for the shoulder-straps are secured at each shoulder of the main plate by single round-headed rivets with circular internal washers. The washers are decorated with simple incised lines. The buckles have oval loops and long hasps with rounded ends and constricted sides. The main plate is pierced at each side of the waist with a possible construction-hole. The lower edge of the main plate is flanged outwards to receive a skirt of one lame. The flange is repaired to the left of its centre with a riveted and brazed internal patch. The lower edge of the skirt has an arched cut-out over the crotch. The cut-out has a file-roped inward turn bordered by a low, plain rib. Each end of the rib is decorated with a modern, round-headed rivet. Each of the outer ends of the skirt-lame has a file-roped inward turn bordered by a low, roped rib. The skirt-lame is attached to the flange of the main plate at each side by a modern, flat-headed rivet at each side. The upper edge of the skirt-lame is fitted at either side with three pairs of modern, flat-headed rivets for the attachment straps to suspend tassets. The inner of the pair of rivets for each of the outer straps is also that which articulates the skirt-lame to the main plate. The main plate is etched with seven vertical bands of trophies, herms, classical figures, dolphins, birds and fabulous beasts on a blackened ground, repeated in the V-shaped border at the neck, and in narrower bands around its arm-openings and at each of its lateral edges. The vertical bands, which widen and diverge to their upper ends, are bordered to either side by three narrower bands of which the central one is decorated with guilloche, and the outer ones are plain. The bands at the arm-openings are each bordered to the outside by a pair of narrower, plain bands, and to the inside by a single, narrower, plain band. The bands at the lateral edges are each bordered to the outside by a pair of narrow, plain bands, and to the inside by three narrower bands of which the central one is decorated with guilloche, and the outer ones are plain. The upper end of the central vertical band terminates in a pair of roundels, the left and right of which respectively contain confronted male and female classical busts. The angles formed to either side of the junction of the central vertical band with the border at the neck are decorated with triangular panels of trophies enclosed to their outsides by scrolling dragons and dolphins. The etched decoration of the main plate has suffered considerable wear, and shows evidence of having been extensively refreshed. Its ground retains traces of modern gold paint. The skirt-lame is etched with three bands of trophies and perhaps other devices on a stippled and blackened ground, repeated in narrower bands at its upper and outer edges. The vertical bands, which diverge to their lower ends, are bordered to either side by three narrower bands of which the central one is decorated with guilloche, and the outer ones are plain. The band at the upper edge is bordered above by two narrower bands, of which the upper one is roped, and the lower one is plain, and below by a single, narrower plain band which is interrupted by the vertical bands. The bands at the outer ends are each bordered to the outside by a single, narrower, plain band, and to the inside by two narrower, plain bands that are separated by the roped rib that borders the ends. The etching of the skirt-lame is heavily rubbed. Part of the composite half armour HEN.M.12A-J-1933 title: breastplate (body armour) NOTES ----- type: history note value: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Applied Arts collection: J.S. Henderson creditline: J.S. Henderson Bequest STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/17836 PEOPLE ------------------- classical figures winged herms SUBJECTS ------------------- trophies busts dolphins dragons fantastic creatures trophies busts dolphins dragons fantastic creatures TECHNIQUES ---------- formed of a main plate of 'peascod' fashion with moveable gussets at the arm-openings, and a skirt of one lame; hammered, shaped, riveted, with etched decoration, file-roped decoration and washers decorated with incised lines hammered TECHNIQUES ---------- patinating TECHNIQUES ---------- forming CATEGORIES ------ category: armour DATING ------ creation date: 1580 - 1570 creation date earliest: 1580 creation date latest: 1570 culture: 16th Century, Late CREATORS -------- maker: Unknown DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Depth units: cm value: 16.7 dimension: Height units: cm value: 44.1 dimension: Weight units: kg value: 2.52 dimension: Width units: cm value: 36.0