The armour A217-A230, made in Germany about 1549 for Philip when he was heir-apparent, is that in which he is represented by Titian (Prado Gallery, No. 454) and Rubens (No. 1607). It was in this suit also, that Velazquez represented the Conde de Benavente, who lived nearly a hundred years after it was forged (No. 1090). The component pieces are striped and bordered by wide bands of engraved and gilded arabesques, designed in all probability by Diego de Arroyo. In the second figure (A218, plate 49) the tassets are of unequal length. The fingers of the right gauntlet are united, those of the left joined in couples. The cuisses are laminated, and reach to about the middle of the thigh. This armour appears to have consisted of more pieces than any other in the collection.
Philip’s third suit (A231-A238) was made for him at Landshut in Bavaria, in 1550, by Sigmund Wolf. Many of the pieces are now at Brussels. The ornamentation is chaste, consisting of narrow bands, etched with graceful scrolls and volutes on white burnished steel.
The parade armour (A239-A242) was made for Philip at Augsburg by Desiderius Colman and Georg Sigman, in 1552. An order exists, issued by Philip, directing his treasurer to pay 2,000 gold escudos, on account of 3,000 escudos, which it seems was the price of this splendid harness.
The history of this suit is not without interest. We borrow the following details from Conde de Valencia:
“When Colman undertook this important work, all embossed and damascened, he showed that he could produce very different work to that which generally left his workshops; that is, tilting and war-armour, which only required superficial ornamentation, like the engraving and low relief on the parts least exposed to lance-thrusts. His recognised superiority in this branch of his industry, and especially forging, is attested by his almost exclusively supplying the Emperor and his son, and by the many suits he made for the chief captains and officers of the Imperial Army. Under such circumstances he was justified in wishing to excel also in the making of armour for parade or de luxe, his rivals the Negrolis of Milan, who a little while before had made various magnificent pieces for Charles V.: among them, armour A139.
“However, it does not seem that Colman possessed the necessary skill to undertake a work of this kind alone. So at least it would appear from his co-operating with a person, whose artistic capacity he recognised to such a degree, that he permitted him to place his signature beside his own on the principal piece of the armour.
“This associate was a German silversmith, named Georg Sigman, who, though resident in Augsburg, had not succeeded in getting the municipality to register him as a master in the trade to which he belonged. Colman saw doubtless in the skill of this artist a powerful medium that would permit him to rival the Negrolis in the ornamentation of armour de luxe, and accepted his assistance in return for his using his influence at the Imperial Court on Sigman’s behalf.”
The scheme of the decoration is as creditable as the execution. On a ground of blackened steel all the pieces are adorned with broad vertical bands, embossed with grotesques, and bordered by narrow outer bands, which are in their turn bordered by pretty trefoil work projecting over the plain ground.
The crest of the burgonet is decorated with laurels and exquisite traceries; the rest of its surface is covered with small figures, birds, scrolls, and foliations charmingly relieved and intertwined. On either side of the crest are medallions representing heroic combats, all delicately chiselled, and with gilded profiles.
At the junction of the visor and helmet may be seen the marks and initials of Colman and Sigman, with the date 1550. Sigman, not content with stamping his initials beside those of his principal, has repeated them with the date 1549 beneath the plume-holder, to commemorate the two years he was employed upon the decoration of the work.