Breastplate for comments

[francantolin]

What about this ?

[A Senefelder]

More pics of both inside and outside would be of great assistance with this piece as well. The gussettes at the arm openings ( the articulating plates that allow the breast plate to be wider than if it was made of a single piece due to their ability to compress ) is a good sign, these were almost never done on Victorian copies.

[francantolin]

Thank you !
Here some more detailled pictures, just received the breastplate !

[francantolin]

And this one

[francantolin]

Not heavy and quite small : 6 pounds weight , 14 inches high.

German ''picquier'' model ?

[francantolin]

Other pictures,
some comments ?
Seems not too bad ?!

[ulfberth]

Hello Franco,

The breastplate could be German indeed, I can't say much more for sure other than it is very beautiful !

kind regards

Ulfberth

[francantolin]

Hello,

Thank you Ulfberth !

[A Senefelder]

Based on what i'm seeing constructionally i'm inclined to believe this piece to be original. While the gussets are a good sign, the edge beveling around the arm openings is as well as the slot rivet channels on either side of the flange of the breast plate to carry the first lame of the fauld that once existed there. All of these are constructional details are almost never done on Victorian copies. The somewhat uneven plate edges where the neck and gusset plates have been rolled over is also a good sign. The peascoding is a bit more pronounced than the more munitions Graz examples but this does not rule out a possible German origin, although without some sort of identifying makers or city control stamp it is tough to assign a country or origin as the style was in use throughout western Europe in the second half of the 16th century. My feeling is that this is a good original example, based only on photos of course, having the piece in hand may cast a different light on it.

[francantolin]

Hello,
Thank you Senefelder !
It is always really fascinating to learn about all this precious ''details''
that make all the difference !!
Really thank you to share your ''secrets'' !!

Perhaps do you work in an historical museum ?

There is one nice museum not too far from my house, with lot of medieval armors.
I went 8-10 times there but never dare to ask the museum curator to see them close and open the showcases !...

Kind regards

[A Senefelder]

Francantolin, I do not work in a museum, however until two years ago I made reproduction armour for a living for 15 years and had a sizeable collection of original pieces of armour as study material.

[francantolin]