IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 17806 accession number: HEN.M.11C-1933 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Friday 8 January 2016 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: Breastplate with associated skirt, for light field use. Formed of a main plate of 'peascod' fashion, with moveable gussets at the arm-openings and an associated skirt of two upward-overlapping lames. The broad, concave neck-opening and the gussets have bold, file-roped inward turns. That at the neck-opening is accompanied by a V-shaped, recessed border. The arm-openings of the main-plate are bordered by pairs of incised lines which appear to have been refreshed at some points. The gussets at the arm-openings are secured to the main plate by modern, round-headed rivets at their upper and lower ends. Those at the upper end move within diagonal slots cut in the gussets, and are fitted with circular, internal washers. Later holes in both the main plate and the gussets, located just above each of the upper rivets, must at some time have served to secure the latter to the former. The holes in the main plate are plugged with modern, round-headed rivets, while those in the gussets are now vacant. The hole in the left gusset is broken out to the edge. A later wiring-hole is pierced at the lower end of each gusset. Attached by a single, externally-flush rivet within the upper end of each gusset, is a modern double-ended, tongued iron buckle with a rounded hasp and rectangular loops decorated with lines of punched cabling. The lower edge of the main plate is flanged outwards to receive the skirt. The angle of the flange is crudely pierced at its centre with a pair of later holes of uncertain function. The skirt is formed of two upward-overlapping lames of shallow, chevron shape, of which the second is a modern restoration. Each lame is decorated at its upper edge with a pair of incised lines. Those of the first lame are refreshed at points. The lower edge of the second lame is cut off straight over the crotch, and decorated there with a file-roped inward turn accompanied by a narrow, recessed border. The lower edge of the first lame was at one time cut away in a shallow, concave curve over the crotch, and decorated with a file-roped, inward turn accompanied by a narrow, recessed border. The turn and border have subsequently been hammered out. The lames are connected to one another and to the flange of the main plate by modern round-headed rivets with circular internal washers at each side. Vacant rivet-holes occur just to the inside of the left connecting-rivet, and just to the outside of the right connecting-rivet in the flange of the main plate. The lower edge of the first lame of the skirt shows some cracks. Each side of the upper edge of the first lame shows evidence of having been pierced with three pairs of rivet-holes which have subsequently been plugged with externally-flush rivets. The holes must at one time have served to attach straps for the suspension of tassets. Attached at each side of the upper edge of the second lame by single round-headed rivets with iron rosette washers are a pair of modern leather straps for the suspension of tassets. The straps are of buff leather, with the exception of the inner one on the right side which has later been replaced by one of polished leather. The rosette washers are decorated with punched hatching. That for the inner strap of the left side lacks one petal. The rivets that retain the outer straps are also those that connect the two lames of the skirt to one another. Part of the composite three-quarter armour HEN.M.11A-H-1933 title: breastplate (body armour) NOTES ----- type: history note value: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Applied Arts collection: J.S. Henderson creditline: J.S. Henderson Bequest STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/17806 TECHNIQUES ---------- formed of a main plate of 'peascod' fashion, with moveable gussets at the arm-openings and an associated skirt of two upward-overlapping lames; hammered, shaped, riveted, with file-roped, incised lines, punched hatching and recessed decoration hammering TECHNIQUES ---------- patinating TECHNIQUES ---------- forming CATEGORIES ------ category: armour DATING ------ creation date: 1580 - 1580 creation date earliest: 1580 creation date latest: 1580 culture: 16th Century, Late CREATORS -------- maker: Unknown DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Depth units: cm value: 18.5 dimension: Height units: cm value: 47.4 dimension: Weight units: kg value: 2.79 dimension: Width units: cm value: 40.8