deplored as illustrating the decadence of the armourer's art. It may be regarded as North Italian in origin, and dates from the last quarter of the XVIth century. It is embossed with vertical panels of trophies of arms upon a groundwork composed of terminal figures, strapwork, and cornucopiae. The strap borders of the panel and some of the details of the trophies of arms still retain slight traces of arabesques in gold azzimina damascening; but unfortunately the surface is pitted with rust and much rubbed. Though the embossing is somewhat rough, the gold plating and damascening must have lent to it a general effect of richness.
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Fig. 1288. Cabasset
North Italian, about 1590. United Service Institute, Whitehall
Very much more elaborate in its decoration is that cabasset bequeathed to the United Service Institution, Whitehall (Fig. 1288), by the late Mr. John Davidson. Coarse in workmanship and perhaps meretricious in style, it is very characteristic of the late Milanese school; but from the collector's point of view it is interesting because of its wonderful state of preservation.
A North Italian type, less elaborate but constantly met with in public and private collections, can be seen in an example chosen from the Musée
