Pauldron: M.10-1945

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown (Possibly)

Entities

• Pauldron
• pauldron for the left shoulder

Categories

• Armour

Description

Pauldron for the left shoulder, for tourney or foot 'combat' use in the lists, with bands of etched and gilt decoration. Formed of four upward-overlapping, medially-ridged lames, each of which is made of two thicknesses of metal, hammer-welded together. All four lames extend well over the chest at the front. The first lame, which is shaped to the point of the shoulder, similarly extends well over the back and is expanded downwards to the level of the bottom of the fourth lame. The expanded portion has a strongly convex inner and lower edge and is flanged at its outer edge where it overlaps the inner ends of the second to fourth lames which extend only as far as the armpit. The upper edge of the first lame is flanged upwards and outwards at the front and outside to form a full haute-piece with a convex upper edge. The front of the first lame is pierced near the point of the shoulder with a threaded hole for the attachment of a reinforce. The threaded hole is backed by a vertical, round-ended strip attached by an externally-flush rivet top and bottom. The second to fourth lames are increasingly shaped to the contours of the upper arm. The rounded, inner, lower corner of the fourth lame dips downwards a little. The lames are connected to one another at the rear by modern, round-headed sliding-rivets with octagonal, internal washers, and at the centre by a modern, internal leather, patched at its upper end and secured to each lame by a pair of rivets with octagonal internal washers. The rivets on the first and fourth lames are round-headed, while those on the second and third lames are externally-flush. The lames were originally connected to one another by a further two internal leathers at the front, now represented only by the pairs of rivet-holes for their attachment. All of the holes in the fourth lame and those for the outer rivets of the outer leather in the remaining lames are now occupied by round-headed rivets. The rivets occupying the holes for the attachment of the outer leather also pass through overlying construction-holes, formerly occupied by decorative round-headed rivets, and so now rigidly secure the lames to one another. The top rivet is fitted with a circular, internal washer. The top, front rivet for the central leather also secures a short, modern, strap terminating in a modern, single-ended, iron buckle with a tongue and roller, intended to engage a strap from the pauldron. The first lame is decorated at the inner and lower edges of its expanded rear portion with seven modern, round-headed rivets. It is decorated with another such rivet just below the front end of the haute-piece and also a short distance below the rear end of the haute-piece. These rivets may have helped to prevent the two layers of the metal from separating. The lower edge of the fourth lame is pierced at both the front and rear of the armpit with a small rivet-hole for the attachment of the strap and buckle that fastened the pauldron around the inside of the arm. All the main edges of the pauldron, except at the top rear and flange of the first lame, and the rears of the second to fourth lames have roped inward turns. The turns are accompanied by borders of etched scrolling foliage involving flowerheads, trophies of arms, musical instruments, grotesque masks and birds on a stippled ground. The same design is repeated in three vertical bands that respectively decorate the front, outside and rear of the pauldron. The borders and bands are in every case enclosed by raised ribs from which alternating vine-leaves and acanthus-leaves, sometimes separated by small tendrils, issue diagonally upwards and outwards. The inside of the rear of the pauldron shows traces of a third raised rib within the others, which was, however, hammered out by the armourer when he moved the decorative band outwards by its own width. The borders and bands retain substantial traces of gilding especially on the front of the pauldron, while the projecting leaves and tendrils are blackened.

Notes

History note: Sold by a Paris saleroom during the winter of 1902-03; with Victor Bachereau, Paris in July 2003; Samuel J. Whawell from whom purchased by the donor

Legal notes

Given by F.H. Cripps-Day

Place(s) associated

• Augsburg ⪼ Germany

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1945-10-16) by Cripps-Day, Francis Henry

Dating

16th Century, Mid#
Production date: circa AD 1550

Note

Other parts of the armour garniture to which this pauldron belongs are now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

South German, possibly Augsburg

The pauldron is bright with medium patination overall.