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Fig. 990. Donatello's equestrian statue of General Gattamelata, Padua

of the forehead is a corrugated rondel with a long conical-headed spike in the centre; attached to the chanfron is the crinet of twelve plates (two modern plates have been added). The poitrel is of five plates hinged together, and is embossed with two convex panels (glancing knobs) above the pectoral muscles. The lower border is escalloped. The croupière, formed of six plates riveted together, fits closely to the quarters of the horse, the border being escalloped to accord with the poitrel plates. As in the case of the Musée d'Artillerie horse armour the saddle on this figure is of later date—the early years of the XVIth century. It has a foundation of wood lined with birch bark, covered on the exterior with quilted black leather. To the cantle are attached three plates of steel together forming an inverted U-shape. The burr, which has also a plate of steel lying flush with the wood, has riveted, spirally-twisted supports, which hold the two semicircular plaques against which the gluteal muscles of the rider rested. The stirrups which are now with the saddle are not in keeping, being of still later date, about 1540; moreover, the bit has been adapted from one of XVIth century fashion. All the leather work and the caparisons of the horse are of modern manufacture. The leopard's skin edging to the horse armour, which was suggested by similar trimming seen in a late XVth century manuscript, has been added to lend completeness to the appearance of the suit. This horse armour was successively in the collections of Herr Pickert