This publication is a guide to the armor and arms in the City Art Museum of St. Louis and, incidentally, a very elementary introduction to the history of arms and armor in general. The major part of the Museum’s collection, comprising the European armor and arms of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, is displayed in a single armor gallery. Other specimens are shown with the exhibition of their own special cultures.
The City Art Museum is, as its name implies, restricted to objects of art, to objects which, independently of their usefulness, are more or less beautiful by the intention of their makers. There are numerous items in the vast range of armor and arms which do not fill this requirement, and are purely utilitarian. The Museum possesses specimens of some of these. As they are not considered objects of art they are not on exhibition, but have been assembled in a special study collection where they can be seen on application to the Curator.
When individual specimens are illustrated, they are given, in the list of illustrations, their identifying Museum serial numbers. If a reader fails to find on exhibition any such specimen in which he is interested, he has only to ask for it by this serial number at the information desk. If its place of exhibition has been changed he will be told where to find it; if for any reason it has been temporarily removed from exhibition, arrangements will be made, if possible, for him to see it.
The subject of armor and arms is neither short nor simple, and it is quite impossible, in a publication the size of this one, to do more than give the barest kind of outline. Many points of interest are not discussed in detail, some technical terms are unexplained, many fascinating items are not mentioned at all. If the subject interests you, you will find helpful information in the books listed on page 43, most of which will be available at any public library. If specific questions concerning armor and arms are addressed to the Curator, City Art Museum, Forest Park, St. Louis 5, Missouri, accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope, they will be answered as far as practicable, but research problems cannot be undertaken.
CONTENTS
[List of illustrations] viii [The earliest arms and armor] 1 [Chain mail] 5 [“Gothic” armor] 8 [“Maximilian” armor] 9 [Armor of the late xvi century: decorated armor] 10 [Late armor] 16 [Questions concerning armor] 18 [Middle Eastern armor] 20 [Arms: striking and cutting weapons] 22 [Lances and pole arms] 26 [Middle Eastern edged weapons] 28 [Projectile weapons: bows and crossbows] 30 [Projectile weapons: firearms] 32 [Bibliography] 43
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| Figure | Acc. No. | Page | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontispiece Helmet, bronze with silver crest, Greek, mid-VI century B.C. | 282:49 | ||
| Title Page State sword, German, Augsburg, XVI century | 173:26 | ||
| [1] | Ceremonial axe blade (Ch’i), bronze, Chinese, An-yang, Shang dynasty (ca. 1523-ca. 1028 B.C.), gift of J. Lionberger Davis | 36:51 | 1 |
| [2] | Helmet, bronze, Chinese, Shang dynasty (ca. 1523-ca. 1028 B.C.) | 283:49 | 2 |
| [3] | Ceremonial dagger of a shaman, bronze, Siberian steppes, ca. 1000 A.D. | 34:43 | 2 |
| [4] | Lock of a crossbow, bronze, Chinese, Han dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.), with model to show operation of interlocking interior parts | 1106:20 | 3 |
| [5] | Disk, probably the central plate of a shield, bronze, Italian, from Picenum, near Ancona, VII-VI century B.C. | 51:22 | 4 |
| [6] | Figure of a warrior, bronze, Etruscan, ca. 500 B.C. Gift of J. Lionberger Davis | 40:51 | 4 |
| [7] | Ink rubbing of engraved brass plate on tomb of Sir Roger de Trumpington, a Crusader, in the church at Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, England | 7 | |
| [8] | “Bishop’s mantle” of chain mail, German or Swiss, XVI century | 87:39 | 7 |
| [9] | Salade, Gothic, German, ca. 1475 | 58:39 | 8 |
| [10] | Full suit of Maximilian armor, German, ca. 1510 | 171:26 | 10 |
| [11] | Breastplate, Italian, Pisan style, ca. 1575 | 170:26 | 11 |
| [12] | Morion, Italian, ca. 1560 | 319:25 | 11 |
| [13] | Closed helmet, German, ca. 1575 | 79:39 | 12 |
| [14] | Tilting helmet, Spanish, ca. 1580 | 444:19 | 13 |
| [15] | Parade shield, Italian, XVI century | 47:27 | 14 |
| [16] | Helmet, German, made for Hungarian or Polish market, XVI century | 71:42 | 14 |
| [17] | Mitten gauntlet for left hand, English, Greenwich school, second half of XVI century | 80:39 | 14 |
| [18] | Parade shield, wood, painted, Hungarian, XV century | 88:42 | 15 |
| [19] | Stirrups, pair, bronze gilt, French, early XVII century | 54:26 55:26 | 16 |
| [20] | Three-quarter suit of armor, South German, ca. 1620 | 172:26 | 17 |
| Drawings to illustrate methods of attaining flexibility in plate armor: | |||
| [21] | By use of leather straps | 19 | |
| [22] | By use of ordinary rivets at pivot points | 19 | |
| [23] | By use of rivets and slotted holes, (so-called Almain or sliding rivets) to allow motion in two directions | 19 | |
| [24] | Breastplate of char aina, Persian, Ispahan, XVI-XVII century | 34:15 | 20 |
| [25] | Helmet, Persian, late XVI century | 16:22 | 21 |
| [26] | Helmet, Turkish, XV century | 36:42 | 21 |
| [27] | Mace, Italian, second quarter XVI century | 231:23 | 22 |
| [28] | Sword, bronze, Chinese, Han dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) | 1108:20 | 22 |
| [29] | Group of swords, as displayed | 23 | |
| 1. State sword, German, XVI century | 173:26 | ||
| 2. Two-handed landesknecht sword, Swiss, dated 1617 | 60:39 | ||
| 3. Swept-hilted rapier, Italian, late XVI century | 430:19 | ||
| 4. Dress sword, German, Saxon, ca. 1620 | 62:39 | ||
| 5. Left-hand dagger, companion to No. 4 | 63:39 | ||
| 6. Cup-hilted rapier, Italian, XVII century | 49:25 | ||
| 7. Left-hand dagger, Italo-Spanish, XVII century | 81:39 | ||
| 8. Cup-hilted rapier, Spanish, XVII century | 233:23 | ||
| [30] | Hilt and guard of court sword, Italian or Spanish, XVII century | 174:26 | 24 |
| [31] | Rondel dagger, Italian, XV century | 82:39 | 25 |
| [32] | Trousse, German, XVI century | 65:39 | 25 |
| [33] | Group of spear-type pole arms, XV-XVII centuries | 27 | |
| 1. Ox-tongue pike, Austrian, Salzburg, ca. 1500 | 433:19 | ||
| 2. Hunting spear, Italian, XVI century | 42:19 | ||
| 3. Partisan, Italian, XVI century | 450:19 | ||
| 4. Partisan of State Guard of William V of Bavaria, ca. 1615 | 169:26 | ||
| 5. Partisan of State Guard of Augustus the Strong of Saxony, King of Poland, ca. 1597 | 166:26 | ||
| [34] | Group of axe-type pole arms, XV-XVII centuries | 28 | |
| 1. Military axe, Spanish, XVI century | 43:19 | ||
| 2. Military axe, Italian, XVI century | 44:19 | ||
| 3. Halberd, Swiss, XV century | 67:39 | ||
| 4. Halberd, North Italian, XVI century | 451:19 | ||
| 5. Halberd of State Guard of Christian II of Saxony, ca. 1590 | 167:26 | ||
| 6. Halberd of State Guard of the Princes of Liechtenstein, XVII century | 168:26 | ||
| [35] | Two dagger-knives | 29 | |
| 1. Persian, Ispahan, XVII century | 13:22 | ||
| 2. Persian, Shiraz, XVII century | 14:22 | ||
| [36] | Sword hilt, gold, Persian, XIII-XIV century | 45:24 | 29 |
| [37] | Crossbow, Flemish, XV century | 41:19 | 30 |
| [38] | Prodd, Italian, XVI century | 69:39 | 30 |
| [39] | Crossbow and cranequin, Swiss, XVII century | 68:39 | 31 |
| [40] | Drawing, mechanism of cranequin | 31 | |
| [41] | Drawing, mechanism of crossbow lock | 31 | |
| [42] | Engraving after de Gheyn, 1606: musketeer about to give fire | 31 | |
| [43] | Matchlock musket, Dutch, XVII century, and detail of its decoration. Gift of the John M. Olin Trust | 302:51 | 33 |
| [44] | Wheellock gun, German, ca. 1550 and detail of engraved inlays after Beham | 74:39 | 34 |
| [45] | Engraving by Hans Sebald Beham, (1500- ca. 1550) The Rape of Iole | 58:14 | 35 |
| [46] | Group of hand firearms of the XVII century | 37 | |
| 1. Miguelet lock gun, Italian, Brescia, for the Balearic trade, by Lazari Cominaz, XVII century | 76:39 | ||
| 2. Wheellock rifle, German, Dresden, by Martin Süssebecker (1593-1668), gunmaker to the Saxon court, ca. 1635 | 75:39 | ||
| 3. Wheellock tschinke, German-Silesian, XVII century | 73:39 | ||
| 4. Wheellock rifle, French, Épinal (Vosges), by Claude Thomas, 1623 | 70:39 | ||
| 4A,B. Pair of wheellock pistols. Companions to No. 4 | 71:39 72:39 | ||
| 5. Flintlock pistol, Italian, Brescia, by Lazaro Lazarino, XVII century | 77:39 | ||
| 6. Flintlock pistol, Italian, Brescian, by Lazarino Cominazzo; Giovanni Bourgognone, mid-XVII century | 85:39 | ||
| [47] | Details of decoration of guns: | 39 | |
| 1. Miguelet lock gun, Italian, Brescia, for the Balearic trade, signed “Lazari Cominaz”, XVII century | 76:39 | ||
| 2. Wheellock rifle, German, Dresden, by Martin Süssebecker (1593-1668), ca. 1635 | 75:39 | ||
| 3. Wheellock tschinke, German-Silesian, XVII century | 73:39 | ||
| [48] | Wheellock pistol, Italian, Brescia, ca. 1630 | 84:39 | 40 |
| [49] | Flintlock powder tester, German, ca. 1690 | 24:25 | 40 |
| [50] | Flintlock pistol set (two brace) with accessories, Portuguese, Lisbon, by Jacinto Xavier, 1799 | 185:42 | 41 |
| [51] | Flintlock repeating pistol, French, Paris, by Derby, late XVIII century | 43:39 | 42 |
THE EARLIEST ARMOR AND ARMS
Once upon a time there probably were men who had neither armor nor arms. They did not last long, for wild animals or other men with stones or sticks in their hands killed them and ate them up. The first men about whom we know anything definite already had weapons of stone. Arms and, later, armor have accompanied man throughout his history.