Breastplate (body armour): HEN.M.106A-1933

Maker(s)

Unknown

Entities

• Breastplate (body armour)
• breastplate with skirt-lame

Categories

• Armour

Description

Breastplate with skirt-lame, for infantry or light cavalry use. The breastplate is of rounded form with a deep neck-opening and movable gussets of a later date at the arm-openings. The neck-opening and gussets have bold, angular turns. Those at the neck and right gusset are turned outwards, while that at the left gusset is turned inwards over wire. The gussets are each retained top and bottom by a modern round-headed rivet and an octagonal internal washer. The bottom rivet in each case moves within a slot cut in the gusset. The breastplate is decorated with fluting arranged as two groups of five raised ribs that diverge upwards and outwards from the belly towards the shoulders. A rivet-hole for the attachment of a shoulder-strap is pierced at the top of each shoulder. Small holes of a later date are pierced just within each of the articulating rivets for the gussets, while a single hole and a pair of holes of slightly larger size are pierced, respectively, at the left and right lateral edges of the breastplate. The lower edge of the breastplate is flanged outwards to receive a skirt. The flange dips slightly to an obtuse point at its centre. A crack towards its left end has been repaired with an internal patch secured by two rivets. An associated and altered single lame of a skirt is attached to the waist-flange by a modern round-headed rivet at either end. A large hole, probably of later date, is pierced a little below each of the rivets. A pair of rivet-holes is pierced at the lower right corner and a single rivet-hole at the left lower corner of the lame. The lower right corner of the lame is cropped.

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, Early#
Production date: circa AD 1510

Note

North Italian

The arm-openings of the breastplate originally had integral turns, matching that at the neck-opening. These have been crudely cut off, probably during the working life of the breastplate, perhaps to update it by fitting it with movable gussets. The present gussets are not an exact pair. The left one has been made up as a restoration in modern times, but the right one might conceivably be a contemporary addition. The skirt lame which has had its left end shortened, is a modern association.

The breastplate and skirt lame are bright with light to heavy pitting overall, and have been heavily polished. The breastplate shows some delamination of the metal in the area of the flutes.