Collar: HEN.M.14B-1933

Maker(s)

Unknown

Entities

• Collar

Categories

• Armour

Description

Collar, for field use, composed of elelments of a similar period and fashion. Formed of three upward-overlapping lames front and rear. The first two lames in each instance are nearly vertical, and the upper edge of the third lame is flanged upwards to receive them. The first lame in each instance has a prominent file-roped turn bordered by five holes for lining-rivets. The right hole of the front lame is occupied by an externally-flush rivet. The right end of the upper edge of the first rear lame is broken away and has been replaced by a riveted internal patch. The third lame at both the front and the rear is considerably deeper than the rest. The lower edge of the front one is convex, while that of the rear one is nearly straight with strongly rounded corners. In both instances the edge has a file-roped, partial inward turn accompanied by a recessed border occupied by seven externally-flush lining-rivets. The left rivet of the front lame is missing. Its hole is cracked out to the edge. The upper edges of the second and third lames in each instance are respectively bordered by pairs of incised lines, and single incised lines. The front three lames are connected to one another by three modern internal leathers, retained by single externally-flush rivets, except at the centre of the second lame where the leather is retained by a pair of such rivets, both of which are pulled loose. Construction-holes in the second and third lames, aligning with the underlying rivet-holes for the attachment of the outer leathers, are fitted with purely decorative, brass-capped, round-headed rivets. The rear three lames are connected to one another at their outer ends by modern internal leathers secured by single externally-flush rivets. The third lame has an additional externally-flush rivet for the attachment of a third leather at its centre. The first and second lames, however, are connected to one another at their centres by a modern, round-headed sliding-rivet of brass with a square internal washer. A slot for a further such sliding-rivet is cut at the centre of the second lame, but no corresponding hole for the rivet exists in the present third lame. Construction-holes aligning or formerly aligning with the underlying rivet-holes for the attachment of the outer leathers, are fitted with purely decorative, round-headed rivets that in two cases show the remains of brass caps. Later holes pierced to either side of the centre of the upper edge of the third rear lame are now plugged with externally-flush rivets. They may at some time have served to rigidly secure the lame to the lame above it, although the present second rear lame shows no holes corresponding to them. A small wiring-hole is pierced just to the outside of the right of them. Further wiring-holes are pierced at the centre of the upper edge of the third front lame, the right end of the first front lame, the right end of the second rear lame, and the left end and centre of the second front lame. The front and rear sections of the collar are connected to one another at the left side by a rectangular hinge with cropped corners, secured within the ends of the first lames by a pair of externally-flush rivets at each end. The front and rear sections of the collar are fastened to one another at the right side by means of a modern, mushroom-shaped stud riveted to the third rear lame engaging a keyhole-slot in the corresponding front lame, and a small plain stud riveted to a tongue-like projection of the restored portion of the first rear lame engaging a circular hole in the corresponding front lame. The third rear lame is pierced with a construction-hole aligning with the circular end of the keyhole slot in the overlying third front lame. The third lames are rigidly secured to one another at the left side by a modern, round-headed brass rivet with a square internal washer occupying former construction-holes. This now prevents the collar from being opened. The third lames appear at some time to have been rigidly secured to one another by means of a rivet occupying later holes that have been crudely pierced just to the outside of the construction-holes. Secured by a single rivet at the top of the shoulder of the third rear lame is a single-ended buckle, lacking its tongue, for the attachment of the pauldrons. The old, and possibly original right buckle is secured by a brass-capped, round-headed rivet. It has a trapezoidal iron loop decorated with groups of transverse filed lines, and an obtusely-pointed iron hasp. The modern left buckle is secured by an externally-flush rivet. It has a plain rectangular loop of thin brass, and a plain iron hasp of rectangular form with cropped corners. Part of the composite armour HEN.M.14A-L-1933.

Notes

History note: 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, Late
Circa 1570 - 1590

Note

From their poor fit, differences in the decoration of their edges, and discontinuities in the alignment of the leathering rivets, and the presence of sliding-rivets only in the upper two lames at the rear, it can be determined that the third lames front and rear are associated with the lames above them.

North Italian

The collar is bright with a medium patination overall.