Gauntlets: M.1.1F-1936

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

• Gauntlets
• pair of gauntlets

Categories

• Armour

Description

A pair of gauntlets of mitten form, for field use, decorated with fluting in the Maximilian fashion. Each formed of a short, flared cuff, five metacarpal-plates, a knuckle-plate, five finger-plates and a hinged thumb-defence of four scales. The cuff has a straight edge with a boldly roped, inward turn accompanied by a recessed border. The cuff is formed of an outer plate and a shorter inner plate which fits within the former and is secured to it at either side by a pair of round-headed rivets with octagonal, internal washers. The lower edge of the inner plate has a plain, inward turn. The outer plate is decorated over the ulna with an almond-shaped boss outlined by a single incised line. Attached to the lower end of the outer plate is a series of five upward-overlapping metacarpal plates of which the last is longer than the rest and connected by a knuckle-plate with a roped transverse rib to a series of five downward-overlapping finger-plates of which the last is longer than the rest and has a convex lower edge with a roped, inward turn accompanied by a recessed border. The border contains four externally-flush rivets which retain an internal leather lining-band. The plates are connected to one another and to the cuff by externally-flush rivets. They are shaped around the rivets. The outer plate of the cuff, the metacarpal-plates and the finger-plates are decorated with nine longitudinal flutes emphasised by pairs of incised lines. Hinged to the front end of the last metacarpal-plate is a thumb-defence. The hinge, which is of iron and shaped around its retaining-rivets, is secured to the last metacarpal-plate by the rivet that articulates the latter to the preceding metacarpal-plate. It is secured to the main plate of the thumb-defence by a round-headed rivet with an octagonal, internal washer. The main plate of each thumb-defence is of lozenge shape with a truncated lower end where it overlaps three downward-overlapping scales. The upper end of the main plate is medially ridged. A transverse ridge runs inwards from the bottom end of the medial ridge. The outer half of the upper end of the main plate is decorated with three diagonal flutes emphasised by incised lines. The three thumb-scales are slightly curved to the thumb. The last one has a rounded end and is embossed with a thumb-nail. The scales are connected to one another and to the main plate by an internal leather. The leather is secured to each scale by a single externally-flush rivet, and to the main plate by a pair of round-headed rivets with octagonal internal washers. Given by Mrs E.W. Stead and Mr Gilbert Stead of Dalston Hall, Cumberland, as part of the composite armour M.1.1A-H-1936

Notes

History note: Stated in the manuscript catalogues of the Stead Collection to have come from a Dresden collection. Mrs E.W. Stead and Mr Gilbert Stead of Dalston Hall, Cumberland.

Legal notes

Given by Mrs E.W. Stead and Mr Gilbert Stead