The 1561 inventory gives no details of ornament and says: "Armoure sent to Kinge Henrie the eight by themperor Maximilian one."
The 1611 inventory describes a suit at Greenwich, "in the greene gallery," as: "One feilde Armo^r of an olde fashion with a base of steele the horses furniture being a barbe crinitt and shaffron all being silvered and guilte." It will be noted that its attribution to King Henry VIII is omitted.
The 1629 inventory records the same entry.
The 1660 inventory furnishes evidence of its removal to the Tower of London and for the first time it figures as "Masking armour compleat reported to be made for King Henry the vii"—thus being put back a reign.
In the 1676 inventory is the same entry.
In the 1683 and 1688 inventories is the same entry, "masking" being spelt "masqueing."
In the 1688 inventory the suit is valued at £100.
In the inventory of 1691 and finally in that of 1693 appear the same entry and valuation.
In the archives of Innsbrück (Missiven, fol. 20) there is the entry that seven armours were ordered and that two cuirasses were already made by Conrad Seusenhofer for the King of England, one gilded and one silvered. The latter in all probability formed part of the harness we refer to; for in 1511 this harness was put in hand as a present from Maximilian to Henry VIII. On 19 May 1511 Sir Robert Wingfield writes to King Henry from Innsbrück saying: "Jerningham hath set all your harness . . . also all that harness which the Emperor doth (send to your) grace." This would certainly appear to be the suit in question. In all the inventories from 1660 down to 1827 this historical suit is attributed to the ownership of King Henry VII. The only explanation of this statement must lie in the fact that in the inventories of 1547 and of 1561 a suit is described which has since disappeared—a suit belonging to Henry VII, but resembling the Henry VIII suit. In the former inventory the suit figures as follows: "Westm^r.—In the chardge of Hans Hunter armerer.
"First. A complete harnesse with a longe bast allow^r engraven and pcell guilte with Rooses and Pomegranetts which was King Henry vii^{th} his harnesse.
"Itm a shaffron to the said harnesse."
It is again alluded to in the 1561 inventory: "Armour guilte your Majesties [Queen Elizabeth's] Grandfathers King Henry the Seventh." After this date the suit appears to be no longer in the royal collection, or if it is
