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which are worthy of close scrutiny. The croupière, the poitrel, and the flanchard plate upon the horse on which is placed the second of the two large suits made for King Henry VIII (Fig. 854) are interesting as excellent examples of the transitional manner of the so-called Gothic-Maximilian style. They would appear to be of Milanese make, and are possibly of the Missaglia school; for they display that characteristic, somewhat wiry, etching and gilding of scrolls, etc., superimposed upon the fan-*shaped groups of channelling, which at first sight lend to the armaments quite a XVth century feeling in respect of form. There is also in the Tower collection a flanchard from another such suit of horse armour. A fairly complete horse armament in the Tower is a poitrel and croupière now entirely plain, that might be assigned to the early years of the XVIth century. As it exists to-day it is free from decoration; but about its whole surface are even groups of twin holes that must have once served the purpose of attaching either by aiglettes or even by permanent rivets silver or bronze-gilt enrichments which have probably been removed for their intrinsic value. However, what remains of the armament is fine in workmanship and robustly proportioned (Fig. 1001). Another horse armour, historically most important, and in its way of unsurpassed grandeur of decoration, is one of the most treasured possessions of this same collection. It is mentioned in the State Papers of the year 1519 under "Revels" as follows:

"Item, a stele Barde silvered prcell gilte wt a payre of Raynes of the same werke wt a fringe of gold and black silke given by the Emp.^{ror}"

Fig. 1001. Poitrel from an equestrian suit

About 1500. Tower of London Class VI, No. 74

The next record we have of it is in the famous 1547 inventory, a manuscript presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London by Gustavus