Steel bevor from the armoury of the Princes Radziwill

An image of Armour/bevor. Unknown production, South Germany. Reinforcing bevor, for use in the tourney, with etched decoration. Formed of a single, medially-ridged, prow-shaped plate covering the front and sides of the face from the level of the eyes to the top of the neck, and strongly shaped to the chin. Its straight upper edge, forming the lower edge of a vision-slit, slopes upwards at its outer ends to strongly rounded corners. Its sides are nearly vertical. The right side has a large cut-out that may perhaps have been enlarged during the working life of the piece. Located at the right of the neck and at the lower edge of the cut-out are brass-capped, round-headed rivets. Similar rivets with circular, internal washers are located at the left of the neck and half way up the left side. The lower edge of the bevor is flanged outwards to receive gorget-plates. These would have been attached by internal leathers. The outer leathers were secured by pairs of externally-flush rivets, and the inner ones by single externally-flush rivets, all of which survive. The outer ends of the flange are cut off obliquely and slightly rounded. The edges of the bevor, except at the neck and the inner end of the cut-out, are etched with narrow bands of small concentric circles between pairs of pellets, all on a blackened ground. The bevor is bright with heavy, mottled patination and some severe patches of pitting overall. It is rusted through down the centre of the front of the chin. Steel, hammered, shaped, riveted, with etched decoration on a blackened ground. Height, whole, 19.7 cm, maximum, width, whole, 23.2 cm, maximum, depth, whole, 11.6 cm, maximum, weight, whole, 0.66 kg, circa 1550-1560. From the armoury of the Princes Radziwill, Castle of Niescwiez, Poland.

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Armour/bevor. Unknown production, South Germany. Reinforcing bevor, for use in the tourney, with etched decoration. Formed of a single, medially-ridged, prow-shaped plate covering the front and sides of the face from the level of the eyes to the top of the neck, and strongly shaped to the chin. Its straight upper edge, forming the lower edge of a vision-slit, slopes upwards at its outer ends to strongly rounded corners. Its sides are nearly vertical. The right side has a large cut-out that may perhaps have been enlarged during the working life of the piece. Located at the right of the neck and at the lower edge of the cut-out are brass-capped, round-headed rivets. Similar rivets with circular, internal washers are located at the left of the neck and half way up the left side. The lower edge of the bevor is flanged outwards to receive gorget-plates. These would have been attached by internal leathers. The outer leathers were secured by pairs of externally-flush rivets, and the inner ones by single externally-flush rivets, all of which survive. The outer ends of the flange are cut off obliquely and slightly rounded. The edges of the bevor, except at the neck and the inner end of the cut-out, are etched with narrow bands of small concentric circles between pairs of pellets, all on a blackened ground. The bevor is bright with heavy, mottled patination and some severe patches of pitting overall. It is rusted through down the centre of the front of the chin. Steel, hammered, shaped, riveted, with etched decoration on a blackened ground. Height, whole, 19.7 cm, maximum, width, whole, 23.2 cm, maximum, depth, whole, 11.6 cm, maximum, weight, whole, 0.66 kg, circa 1550-1560. From the armoury of the Princes Radziwill, Castle of Niescwiez, Poland.

Image data

Accession Number: HEN.M.62-1933
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/16.0
Focal length: 120
Camera: Hasselblad H3DII-31
Photographer name: Katie Young
Image height: 893 pixels
Image width: 1024 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4 (Windows)
Filesize: 117.70kB
Exposure time: 1/90
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 16/1

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024)
            "Steel bevor from the armoury of the Princes Radziwill"
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