Backplate (body armour): HEN.M.8C-1933

Maker(s)

Unknown

Entities

• Backplate (body armour)
• Skirt
• backplate with restored skirt

Categories

• Armour

Description

Backplate with restored skirt, for field use, with etched decoration. The backplate is made in one piece with a short flange at the waist. It is slightly shaped to the shoulder-blades and the hollow of the back. Its neck-opening, arm-openings and waist-flange have plain inward turns. A modern shoulder-strap is attached by a single round-headed rivet at each shoulder. A modern strap, forming a waist-belt is riveted at each side of the waist. The left strap terminates in a modern double-ended, tongued iron buckle. The backplate has suffered a number of small to large rust-perforations; three of which are repaired with riveted internal patches. Its metal shows extensive delamination and cracking. Attached to the waist-flange by a single rivet at each side is a modern skirt of one lame with file-roped inward turns at its straight lower and lateral edges.
The backplate is decorated with bands and borders of etched trophies involving winged herms, dolphins and cartouches depicting human figures all on a blackened ground. The junction of the upper end of the central vertical band with the border of the neck is decorated with a pair of medallions depicting confronted male and female classical busts. The medallions are flanked by a pair of confronted winged dragons. The main bands and the borders are in every case enclosed by groups of narrower bands, of which some are decorated with guilloche or roping. The lower and lateral edge of the modern skirt are decorated with etched bands of trophies on a stippled and blackened ground. This is enclosed above by three narrower bands of which the central one is decorated with guilloche. Part of the composite half armour HEN.M.8A-F-1933

Notes

History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

16th Century-17th Century#
Circa 1600 - 1610

Note

North Italian

The backplate and skirt are bright. The former, which is much worn, has a variable medium patination. The skirt shows a heavier pitting and patination.

The backplate would not originally have been fitted with a skirt.