Skip to main content

Breastplate (body armour): HEN.M.121-1933

Object information

Awaiting location update

Maker(s)

Unknown (Probably)

Entities

Categories

Description

Breastplate of 'anime' construction, for field use, composed of elements possibly reworked to fit one another during working life. Formed of a main plate covering the chest, and six upward-overlapping lames covering the upper part of the abdomen. The main plate is cut with a deep, narrow neck-opening and arm-openings that extend into the top two lames of the abdominal section. The abdominal section has a straight lower edge. Its lames are connected to one another by three internal leathers. The rivets for the outer leather now pass through the overlying lames as well. A further internal leather originally existed between each of the present leathers, making a total of five. The upper and lower sections are connected to one another at each side by a sliding-rivet. Each side of the abdominal section is furnished beneath the armpit with a later rectangular slot and swivel-hook to engage and secure a stud projecting from the backplate. Riveted at either side of the lowest abdominal plate is an oval loop to receive a waist belt. The main edges of the breastplate have file-roped inward turns. The upper edges of the abdominal section are decorated with large scallops bordered by pairs of incised lines. The main plate is decorated with a pattern of chevrons formed of pairs of incised lines. Although the upper and lower sections of the breastplate were not originally made for one another, they appear to have been united during their working life.

Notes

History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex.

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Measurements and weight

Depth: 12.8 cm
Height: 38.5 cm
Weight: 1.42 kg
Width: 35 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

16th Century, Mid#
17th Century, Early#
Circa 1550 - 1560 Circa 1600 -

Note

North Italian

The breastplate shows a 'black from the hammer' finish, now partly rubbed and oxidised to a russet colour.

Components of the work

Internal Leathers composed of leather
Decoration
Parts

Materials used in production

Steel

Techniques used in production

Hammered : Formed of a main plate covering the chest, and six upward-overlapping lames covering the upper part of the abdomen; hammered, shaped, riveted, with file-roped and incised decoration
Formed

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: proof-mark of a bullet

  • Text: 123
  • Location: To the left of centre
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Label

Inscription present: maker's mark

  • Text: PB/5
  • Location: Centre of the neck-opening
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Label

Inscription present: the cross of St. George within an ecsutcheon

  • Location: Near top of right arm-opening
  • Method of creation: Struck

Inscription present: crowned IR cipher

  • Location: Just to left and below the centre of neck-opening
  • Method of creation: Struck

Identification numbers

Accession number: HEN.M.121-1933
Primary reference Number: 18600
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Wednesday 11 January 2023 Last processed: Thursday 7 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Breastplate (body armour)" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/18600 Accessed: 2024-11-24 14:28:46

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/18600 |title=Breastplate (body armour) |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-24 14:28:46|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-18600

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...