Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 2).djvu/162

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position of the helm on the shoulders, when a course was to be run, an opening of not more than half an inch would present itself to the adversary's lance. The average thickness of Plate 3 is from 9/16 to 1/8 of an inch.

The three plates of the helm are fastened together by hemispherically-headed rivets of iron, on which are soldered latten caps half an inch in diameter.

Fig. 462. Helm

German, about 1500. National Germanic Museum, Nuremberg

Fig. 463. Helm

German, about 1500. H 14, Musée d'Artillerie, Paris

The breastplate of this harness is of slightly globose form, the gussets flanged to a triangular section. The right-hand side is forged to a rectangular form, and has at its extreme corner a lance rest attached by a strong screw and two guiding staples. The lance rest itself is forged from one piece, and is in the form of a bracket, at the end of which is a semicircular arm, which is supported in turn by a bar of moulded pilaster form. At right angles to this, and passing beneath the right arm, is the queue, under the end of which rested the butt end of the lance. It is 2-3/16 inches wide, 7/16 of an inch thick, and 21 inches long, grooved for 10-1/4 inches, no doubt with the object of reducing its weight. This queue is attached to the breastplate by two