Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 2).djvu/247

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Fig. 560. The gauntlets

As shown on the effigy of the Black Prince Cathedral church of Canterbury

Fig. 561. One of the lions

The "gads" formerly on the knuckles of the existing gauntlets Cathedral church of Canterbury

plate, are to be found. On a slab in Schönthal Church (Germany), behind the figure of Albrecht von Hohenlohe, who died in 1319, is represented a cuffed and figured gauntlet of quite an advanced type (Fig. 556); while as almost the counterpart of this type in England, we may mention the gauntlets seen on an unknown effigy in the chancel of Ash Church, Kent, an effigy which dates from about 1335 (Fig. 557). In the middle of the XIVth century an almost stereotyped form of gauntlet is found in use, which, generally speaking, may be said to have remained in fashion for close upon a century. The special constructional feature of this gauntlet, in which the cuff and metacarpal guard bell out abruptly from the wrist, giving them the appearance of an hour-glass, is that a single broad plate of metal almost envelops the hand from the wrist to the knuckles, which it covers and protects. It is curved round the sides of the hand, but leaves part of the palm exposed. Underneath the plate was worn a leather glove, to the fingers and thumb of which small overlapping scales were attached to complete the defence of the hand. An example of this type may be seen on the brass of Sir John de Saint Quintan in Brandesburton Church, Yorkshire, which may be dated at about 1397 (Fig. 558). The famous gauntlets of Edward, Prince of Wales, known as the Black Prince, hanging with his other achievements over his tomb in the cathedral church of Canterbury, afford an excellent illustration of this kind of hand defence (Fig. 559, a, b). They are fashioned of gilded latten. Their form is rather exaggerated, and their protective qualities small, from which circumstances we have already argued that they were not originally part of a war harness, but were supplied