IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 18125 accession number: M.1.2A-1936 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Tuesday 13 April 2021 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: A breastplate, decorated ensuite with one another, probably for use by a member of the Papal bodyguard. The breastplate is formed of a main plate of 'peascod' fashion, with moveable gussets at the arm-opening and a skirt of one lame. The broad, concave neck-opening and the gussets have bold, file-roped inward turns bordered by single incised lines. That at the neck is bordered by a file-roped rib. The arm-openings of the main plate are bordered by a pair of incised lines. The gussets at the arm-openings are secured to the main plate by later round-headed rivets with square internal washers at their upper and lower ends. Those at the upper end move within horizontal slots. Each of them, together with a similar rivet occupying a hole pierced in the main plate just above it, retains a later leather shoulder-strap. The greater part of the right strap is missing. A later hole pierced in the right gusset, at the same height as the upper of the pair of rivets that now secures the remains of the right shoulder-strap, may at one time have served to rigidly rivet the gusset to the main plate. Vacant rivet-holes located at the upper end of each gusset represent the attachment points of the original shoulder-straps or their buckles. Later wiring-holes are pierced at the lower end of each gusset. The right gusset shows two small rust-perforations midway along the inner angle of its turn. The lower edge of the main plate is flanged outwards to receive the skirt of one lame which is attached at each side by a round-headed rivet with a square internal washer. The skirt would originally have consisted of at least one further lame. The surviving skirt-lame is decorated at its upper edge with a pair of incised lines, and at its lateral edges with partial inward turns. Attached within its lower edge by thirteen round-headed rivets with square internal washers is a later fringe of leather faced with dark brown velvet that is joined to at its scalloped lower edge within black silk piping. The greater part of the leather is now missing, and the velvet covering much decayed, worn and discoloured. Of the rivets that now secure the fringe, the second in from each side occupy the holes that would originally have served to attach the missing second lame of the skirt. The lower edge of the skirt-lame shows several cracks. The armour is decorated on the breastplate, with an etched linear design of curved rays that diverge downwards and outwards and are separated by circular or oval pellets. On the breastplate the rays issue between a pair of adorsed, scrolling acanthus leaves, from the mouth of a grotesque mask, and are surmounted at their centre by a crowned eagle in display. Stylised acanthus foliage also decorates the centre of the border of the neck. The decoration is gilt throughout against a blued ground. The main and subsidiary edges of all preserved parts of the armour are also gilt, as are their decorative raised ribs. Part of the composite half armour M.1.2A-C-1936 title: breastplate (body armour) NOTES ----- type: history note value: Mrs E.W. Stead and Mr Gilbert Stead of Dalston Hall, Cumberland. LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Applied Arts creditline: Given by Mrs E.W. Stead and Mr Gilbert Stead STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/18125 SUBJECTS ------------------- mask eagle acanthus mask eagle acanthus TECHNIQUES ---------- the breastplate is formed of a main plate of 'peascod' fashion, with moveable gussets at the arm-opening and a skirt of one lame; hammered, shaped, riveted, decorated with file-roping, ribs, incised lines, an etched linear design of curved rays hammering TECHNIQUES ---------- forming CATEGORIES ------ category: armour DATING ------ creation date: 1570 - 1590 creation date earliest: 1570 creation date latest: 1590 culture: 16th Century, Late CREATORS -------- maker: Unknown DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Depth units: cm value: 21.5 dimension: Height units: cm value: 47.8 dimension: Weight units: kg value: 2.68 dimension: Width units: cm value: 40