Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/149

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

period, veritable achievements of the armourer's art, and in the main have been executed under the influence of the Kolman, Wolf, Worms, and Lockner schools.

Fig. 1207. Escuffa

The work of Koloman Kolman of Augsburg, about 1530. This reinforcing piece belonged to a helmet made for the Emperor Charles V once in the Royal Armoury, Madrid. It was afterwards in the armoury of Lord Hastings. Collection: Mr. Felix Joubert

We illustrate two of superlative beauty, each extremely fine both as regards workmanship and condition. The two we represent are chosen from many splendid examples in the Royal Armoury of Madrid, and both are parts of an historical harness made by Desiderius Kolman for Charles V. The first helmet (Fig. 1206a) has a hemispherical visor and mezeil in one piece, pierced with ring-like arrangements for breathing purposes; while the decoration at the back takes the form of spiral channelling, finely etched and gilt in the manner of Daniel Hopfer. The late Count de Valencia suggested that the deep gorget plates on this helmet are an addition to the head-piece to replace a cabled base, which was removed. The second helmet (Fig. 1206b) has almost the contour