"that Picinino had also produced a matchlessly beautiful suit (armatura) for His Grace Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma, and for other Princes." When we come to consider the style of the suit at Vienna we recognize the harness at once as an undoubted work of Lucio's; when, too, we bear in mind the high prices which such defensive armour commanded at the period, we can hardly suppose that the Prince owned several such rich parade suits. We have therefore no hesitation in deciding that this is the suit referred to by Morigia, the suit made for Alessandro Farnese,[1] Duke of Parma, which, through the mediation of Count Hannibal von Hohenembs was presented by the Duke in 1579 to Archduke Ferdinand of the Tyrol, who placed it among his collection of the arms of celebrated personages in Castle Ambras.
The breastplate of this suit is of that customary peascod type, which was in fashion about 1570-80; while the pauldrons, the arm defences and fingered gauntlets, the tace plates, and the short spreading tassets of seven plates are all of the usual pattern of the period. The cuisses are laminated in three parts; while the knee-cops are small and of a decadent style. The jambs terminate at the ankles; there is an additional defence for the left pauldron; the helmet is a closed one, with a visor and mezail, and deep gorget plates. Attached to the comb in the same medium of damascened iron is the figure of a winged harpy, a clumsy and not altogether happy addition to the helmet. The whole surface is russeted and decorated in the following manner. On the breastplate are six sunken lateral radiating panels, the groundwork of which is blued; across the hollowed surface at intervals are embossed swags of fruit and flowers, and, alternating with these, hangings of drapery. In the middle raised band of the five that separate the sunken panels the ornamentation culminates in the extreme centre in an arched canopy supported by two satyrs placed back to back; in this niche is a full-faced figure, 3-3/4 inches high, representing David holding a sling, and the falchion of Goliath. On the top of the canopy are seated two naked figures of captives bound back to back, and on them rests a strapwork cartouche containing the head of Medusa; on either side of this mask are seated partially draped female figures emblematic of Fame and Victory. On the four remaining bands are the emblematical figures of the Theological and Cardinal Virtues introduced in similar strapwork borders, and between these are panels with crouching
- ↑ Alessandro Farnese, who was born in 1544, distinguished himself at the battle of Lepanto, and was one of the most famous generals of the day. From the year 1578, until his death in 1592, he governed the Netherlands.
