A COMPOSITE SOUTH GERMAN THREE-QUARTER FIELD ARMOUR, SECOND HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY comprising

A COMPOSITE SOUTH GERMAN THREE-QUARTER FIELD ARMOUR, SECOND HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY comprising burgonet with one-piece skull rising to a high roped medial comb and projecting forward to a short integral peak pierced at its rear with a triangular hole to accommodate a missing sliding nasal-bar now represented only by its later retaining-staple and locking-bar attached by rivets at the brow, its nape fitted with a plume-holder and short neck-guard of two lames, each of its sides fitted with a later applied comb roped en suite with the medial one, and a later hinged cheek-piece pierced with circular ventilation-holes and fitted at its lower edge with a separate neck-lame, 'almain' collar formed of four lames front and rear and three more at each side extending over the top of the shoulder, heavy breastplate with medially-ridged main plate projecting forward over the belly, dipping gently at the centre of the waist, fitted at each arm-opening with a movable gusset, at the right of the chest with a pair of modern staples for the attachment of a lance-rest and at its flanged lower edge (repaired with small riveted internal patch) with a fauld of three lames (associated and pierced with three later holes), the lowest of which bears two pendent tassets nearly forming a pair, each of six lames extending to just above the knees, backplate formed in one piece boxed at its centre and each side, and fitted at its lower edge with a fauld of one lame, and spaudlers each of eight lames extending to just above the elbow, the main edges of the armour decorated with file-roped inward turns accompanied in the case of the collar and cuirass by recessed borders, the subsidiary edges of the spaudlers bordered by single incised lines (lightly patinated overall; the rivets in some cases replaced by brass-capped upholstery-nails; the collar showing some minor chips and cracks). This armour is for a man of notably large proportions, its fine collar in particular is of exceptional girth. The slight step in the neck-flange of the burgonet is a feature seen in higher quality Augsburg helmets of the late 16th century.