CIRCA 1590

comprising close helmet with rounded one-piece skull rising to a high roped medial comb (pierced at its apex for attachment of a plume, and showing a small patched repair) pierced with nine holes in rosette-formation at each side at the base, fitted at its nape with plume-holder, visor, upper bevor and lower bevor attached to it by common fluted pivots, the visor sloping forward to a centrally-divided vision-slit (lacking lifting-peg), the prow-shaped upper bevor pierced at its right with nine ventilation-holes and secured to the lower bevor at the same side by a pierced stud and swivel-hook (the latter replaced), and three gorget-plates front and rear (the lowest front lame cracked through and repaired); collar formed of a single deep plate front and rear, each struck with a small octopus-like mark and secured at the right by a stud and key-hole slot (small chips on the left); breastplate formed of a main plate of deep 'peascod' fashion, embossed with a pair of adorsed volutes beneath the neck-opening, fitted at its arm-openings with originally movable gussets, pierced with two holes at its right for a lance-rest, and flanged outwards at its lower edge to receive a fauld of one lame, fitted at each side with three straps supporting a pendent tasset of six lames (the fifth at the left with a small chip); one-piece backplate formed at its lower edge with a short biliobate flange, fitted at either side of the neck with a buckle (replaced) for a shoulder strap and at its waist with a belt (replaced); two pauldrons of asymmetrical design (not a pair), each embossed front and rear with a volute and formed of seven and eight lames respectively; vambraces of fully articulated tubular design, each fitted at its upper end with a turner of two lames, and at its elbow with a winged bracelet couter of three lames; two gauntlets (not a pair) each formed of a flared and pointed tubular cuff closed at the inside of the wrist by an overlapped join, four and five metacarpal-plates respectively, a knuckle-plate, the left decorated with a roped transverse rib, (thumb-and finger-scales missing); upper leg-defences each formed of a cuisse with a short gutter-shaped main plate fitted at its lower edge with a poleyn of four lames of which the second is formed at its outside with a large medially-puckered oval side-wing; the main edges of the armour formed with file-roped inward turns and recessed borders accompanied by narrow bands of cabling, and its surfaces decorated with etched designs including classical portrait rondels on the volutes of the breastplate, backplate and pauldrons, the latter each accompanied by a large cartouche front and back enclosing scenes from the Labours of Hercules, bands and borders of ornament consisting of trophies of arms within ropework borders all on a blackened and stippled ground and enclosed between narrower bands of guilloche, a number of secondary borders with slender frames of beadwork, and the principle elements painted with the early inventory number ‘29’ (small areas of pitting, the cuisses attached by rivets to the tassets, releathered)

Stand not included

Provenance

One of the group of armours purchased by Lord Somers in 1853, stated (incorrectly) to be of Emperor Charles V’s bodyguard and preserved in Milan for many years.

Charles Somers Somers-Cocks, 3rd Earl Somers (1819-83), Eastnor Castle, thence by descent

Literature

Lady Henry Somerset, Eastnor Castle, London 1889, p. 21: ‘On stands round the Hall are ranged thirty-three three-quarter suits of plate armour, each consisting of helmet, back and breast plates, lobster cuisses and knee-pieces, pauldrons, arm-pieces and gauntlets. This was the armour of the body-guard of the Emperor Charles V, and was preserved in Milan for many years, where it was purchased by Lord Somers in the year 1853.’

This armour would have been intended for use without greaves. The decoration is very well matched throughout, perhaps assembled from two, or a small number of armours from a series.

A further pair of cuisses from this series are preserved in the Wallace Collection (inv. no. A293 & A294).