As already mentioned, a very distinctive feature of this period, which lasted only four, or at the very most six decades, is the skirt of mail called “lamboys,” or in the language of the day, “bases,” which resembles a full gathered or plain petticoat, or kilt of laminated hoops, held together with “Almayne” rivets. A drawing is given of this kind of armour from an example in the author’s collection ([Fig. 25]), which is said to have come from an old castle in the Tyrol into the family from whom he obtained it. The suit could only be traced back some seventy or eighty years. Armour with long skirts was current during the reign of Henry VI., but this description differed from the “bases” of the reign of Henry VIII. in the plates being flexible in a vertical direction; capable, as Viscount Dillon says in Archæologia, vol. li., p. 258, of being lifted up like a Venetian blind. As shown by the fine suit with lamboys or bases, by Conrad Seusenhofer, in the Tower of London, which will be commented on somewhat later in these pages, it is obvious that this style of armour was to the fore during the later years of Maximilian’s reign, but it became more de rigueur in that of his successor. The general pose of the suit ([Fig. 25]) is excellent and characteristic. The armet is fluted and “Maximilian” in three pieces, and is a most perfect specimen and graceful in outline. There is a small comb on the crown-piece, and a plume-socket. The visor moves on rosettes of nine petals, and it projects sharply forward to a point, the front consisting of four deeply indented bevels, with two broad lights above them, and two smaller slits in each bevel. There is a spring-catch for closing the visor. The bevor is attachable to the crown-piece by a similar catch. The helmet has a collar of three lames, and weighs five pounds. It is almost identical in form with one catalogued No. 47 among the helmets exhibited at the rooms of the Royal Archæological Institute in July 1880. The date given is 1515–30. In all probability the helmet on [Fig. 25] was made earlier than the date fixed upon for the suit, and perhaps was not worn with it. The cuirass has a tapul with a projection near the base, like the “peascod,” and this feature seems at first to be indicative of a rather later date than 1550–60. The same form is present, however, on a suit with lamboys in the Vienna collection, made by Mathaus Frauenpreis of Augsburg in 1550. This armour, like the one in the author’s collection, is for fighting on foot. The lamboys in [Fig. 25] consist of nine lames, the lowest much broader than the others, with a band studded with rivets for an inner lining, terminating with an ornamental string-like piping. These skirts are attached to the lower rim of the cuirass by sliding adjustable screws, and each lame is provided with a similar screw on both sides for attaching the back and front portions together. The back of the lamboys is the same as the front. These sliding rivets are believed to be the “Almayne” rivets so often referred to in inventories of the reign of Henry VIII. They are present also on the fine suit with lamboys in the Tower, made by Conrad Seusenhofer of Innsbruck for Henry VIII. The Tower suit is earlier than the one under discussion, has pikeguards, and the “base” has a brass border, which was doubtless once gilded or silvered. The pauldrons of the author’s suit are very large, and of equal size both back and front, while the rerebrace is freely laminated. The coudières are cup-formed, and go nearly round the elbow joints. The heart-shaped guards, the tops of the pauldrons, and bottom of the rerebrace are enriched by a small piping. The gauntlets are “mitten,” quite complete, and of fine workmanship. The cuffs have their upper edges adorned with a similar piping to that on the other pieces, and the same design is repeated at the base of the last finger plate. Over the knuckles is a bold twisted piping, and the laminated plates over the back of the hand number five above the ridge, while those below are the same in number. The gauntlet is of the type prevailing about 1535–40. The cuisses and jambs have a ridge running down to the sollerets, while the genouillières are ornamented with a double bevel in the centre. The knee-guard is oval, and bevelled in the centre. The sollerets are small, and of the “bec-de-cane” type.
Fig. 25.—Suit with Lamboys, in the Author’s Collection.
PART XII.
SOME ARMOUR-SMITHS OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
The armour-smiths who stand out prominently during this period are the Negrolis of Milan, who have already been referred to, the later Kolmans of Augsburg, and the Seusenhofers of Innsbruck. An example by Koloman Kolman, son of Lorenz, may be seen at the Armeria Real, Madrid (Catálogo No. A65), in a harness made for Charles V. Tuilles are here replaced by tassets, and the figure has a “stechtarche” or tournament shield at the shoulder. Another example, in a noble unfluted suit, is at Vienna. It was made for Count Andreas von Sonnenberg about 1506, and has been already referred to. Desiderius, son of Koloman, also turned out work of the highest character. A specimen of his handiwork is in the Madrid collection. The Kolman’s mark is an armet surmounted by a cross, with the Augsburg armour-smiths’ guild badge. Very little is known concerning the work of Hans Seusenhofer of Innsbruck, beyond the curious “piped” harness at Vienna, made for the Emperor Charles V. when a youth. We have an example of that of his brother Conrad in the exquisite mounted suit, with lamboys, in the Tower of London, made by order of the Emperor Maximilian I., and presented by him to Henry VIII. The date is 1514, and it is chastely engraved with the cognizances of the king, and of his consort Katharine of Arragon. The general theme of the ornamentation throughout is the legend of St. George. The suit is referred to by Viscount Dillon in the Archæologia, vol. li. The armourer’s mark is on the helmet, and the suit has been originally silvered over. Jörg Seusenhofer, son of Hans, worthily closes the line; specimens of his work are at the Musée d’Artillerie, Paris, and there is a splendidly enriched harness at Vienna made for the Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol, about 1547. The collection at the Königl. Zeughaus, Berlin, is in possession of a fine example by this master in a suit made for Francis I. of France. It is engraved and gilded in the French style, evidently in compliment to the King, or by his orders. The breastplate exhibits an early instance of the “peascod.” The leg armour and sollerets are palpable “restorations.” Other examples by this master are given under the heading “Enriched Armour.” The engraving for this suit was done by Hans Perckhamer. Another celebrated armour-smith, who worked under the Emperor Maximilian II., is M. Frauenpreis of Augsburg, of whose work an admirable specimen with lamboys, which has been already referred to, exists at Vienna.
PART XIII.
DEFENSIVE ARMOUR, 1540–1620, AND TO THE END.
Defensive armour experienced another change a little before the middle of the sixteenth century, viz., in the casting aside of fluted armour, for the reasons already stated, and the resumption of plain steel. Suits became generally lighter, and the form of the breastplate changed, with a hump over the stomach or the abdomen. During the second half of the century the cuisse and tasset tend to combine in a series of laminated plates to the knee, and sollerets were smaller and more the shape of the foot; indeed, greaves and sollerets began to be replaced by leather boots. This period was specially remarkable for profuse and artistic ornamentation. Armour was engraved by hand and manipulated with aquafortis, as well as embossed and damascened with gold, in a manner that has never been surpassed in any work of the kind whatever. There is a very fine suit of the period, 1550–60, at the Königliche Zeughaus, Berlin, made by the elder von Speyer; and though the armour is enriched, it has been described in this section by way of showing a typical harness of the period in its order. It was undoubtedly made by Peter von Speyer in 1560 for the Kurfürst Joachim II. of Brandenburg, and is thus historic. The letters P. V. S., with the year, appear several times on the armour, and the Brandenburg arms decorate the breast. The helmet is the burgonet, the cuirass is shorter than the fashion immediately preceding, while the rim of the breastplate stands out sharply beyond the tassets. The breastplate projects a little below the centre, and the shoulder-pieces and general pose, with the before-mentioned features, are all characteristic of the year of make. The ornamentation in repoussé work is very fine. This suit has been fully and ably described by Dr. Edgar von Ubisch in the Hohenzollern Jahrbuch of 1899. (See illustration, [Fig. 26].) Descriptions in detail and illustrations are given of various suits of the second half of the sixteenth century. During this half century (sixteenth) defensive armour may be said in some respects to have reached its highest point of excellence; but towards its close unmistakable signs of decadence began to appear, and cap-à-pie suits fell gradually into disuse. This was caused by the inability of the armour to resist the then more penetrating firearms, or perhaps even still more, because the newer tactics demanded lighter cavalry and fighting more in masses, and less from individual efforts hand-to-hand. A style of demi-armour, called the “Allecret,” largely prevailed during the second half of the sixteenth century. The name is a corruption of “allekraft” (all strength). The peculiarities of this fashion will be shown in an example from the author’s collection ([Fig. 27]), which will be fully described later in these pages. This half-armour was often worn by light horsemen, household troops, and leaders of companies. It is very common to find, especially in family collections, some particular suit or suits ascribed to a great ancestor, but this is nearly always romance. It is an uncommon advantage to find a harness dated with the year, as some few are. There is a suit of this kind in the National Museum, Munich, with the date 1597 inscribed, and others at Nuremberg and Berlin. The more that is seen of armour, 1560–1600, the greater is the difficulty in many cases of fixing any approximate date, or arriving at any standard for suits covered by the period. Many suits were restored again and again, and this naturally gives rise to great perplexity. With this period closes the pre-eminence in the field of the knightly order, as such.
