Pair of vambraces, for field use. Each vambrace is formed of a turner, a tubular upper cannon, a winged bracelet couter and a tubular lower cannon. The tubular turner has a backward-overlapping join towards the rear of its inside, joined by three externally-flush rivets. Its upper edge, which slopes down to the inside of the arm, has a file-roped inward turn accompanied by a recessed border. The border is occupied at the outside of the arm by three modern, round-headed rivets with circular internal washers, each of which retains the remains of a leather-strap, except for the rear one of the right vambrace which is missing. It is probable that the rivets originally retained semi-circular suspension-tabs. The border is occupied at the inside of the arm by a single rivet that retains a modern, downward-directed leather loop through which the straps of the pauldron are fastened. The rivet of the left vambrace is flat-headed, while that of the right is externally-flush with a square external washer. The lower edge of each turner is decorated with a pair of incised lines. The edge is bordered by three evenly-spaced, modern, externally-flush rivets that engage and move within three long slots cut within the upper edge of the upper cannon. The upper cannon of each vambrace is of tubular form with an inward-overlapping join at its rear secured by three externally-flush rivets. The lower edge of each has a plain outward turn at the inside of the elbow, where it is cut away in a concave curve. The couters are each formed of three lames that overlap outwards from the central one which completely encircles the arm and has an outward-overlapping join at its rear secured by two externally-flush rivets. The central lame, which is strongly shaped to the point of the elbow, expands to a broad wing at the front, and a much narrower one at the rear. The upper and lower edges of the wings are decorated with file-roped inward turns accompanied by recessed borders. The wings are decorated medially with a pair of incised lines. Pairs of incised lines also decorate the upper and lower edges of each lame of the couter. The lames are connected to one another and to the upper and lower cannons by modern round-headed rivets with octagonal washers at the front, and by modern, externally-flush rivets at the rear. Later rivet-holes or wiring-holes are pierced in the lower cannon of the left vambrace, just to the outside of its connecting-rivets. The tapering, tubular lower cannon of each vambrace is formed of an inner and an outer plate: the former fitting within the latter. The plates are connected to one another at the rear by an internal hinge, and fastened at the front by a modern, plain, circular stud riveted at the centre of the front edge of the inner plate that engages a corresponding hole in the front edge of the outer plate. The hinges have rounded outer ends that are in each case secured by a pair of modern, round-headed rivets. The hinge of the right vambrace is possibly associated as each of its ends is pierced just below the upper of its pair of retaining-rivets with a hole that does not correspond with any in the vambrace itself. The hinge of the left vambrace is possibly modern. The hinges are accommodated within deep trapezoidal notches cut into rear edges of the inner plates. The lower edge of each lower cannon is cut away obliquely, and decorated with a file-roped inward turn accompanied by a recessed border. The upper edge of the border of the outer plate of the left lower cannon has a short split at its front end that has been repaired with a small, riveted internal patch. The upper edge of each inner plate has a plain outward turn at the inside of the elbow where it is cut away in a concave curve. Part of the composite three-quarter armour HEN.M.11A-H-1933
History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex
J.S. Henderson Bequest
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart
16th Century, Mid#
Production date:
circa
AD 1550
North Italian
The pairs of incised lines that decorate the turner and couter have been added in modern times to make the vambraces match other elements of the composite armour into which they were incorporated.
The vambraces are bright with a slightly mottled light to medium patination overall.
Loop
composed of
leather
( modern)
Strap
composed of
leather
( remains of)
Right Vambrace
Depth 14.0 cm
Height 43.6 cm
Weight 1.6 kg
Width 23.8 cm
Left Vambrace
Depth 14.0 cm
Height 45.1 cm
Weight 1.5 kg
Width 23.6 cm
Borders
Decoration
Parts
Plates
Hammering
: Each vambrace is formed of a turner, a tubular upper cannon, a winged bracelet couter and a tubular lower cannon; hammered, shaped, riveted, with file-roped decoration, incised lines and recessed borders
Patinating
Forming
Accession number: HEN.M.11G-1933
Primary reference Number: 17822
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Vambraces" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/17822 Accessed: 2024-12-23 05:35:44
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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/17822
|title=Vambraces
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-23 05:35:44|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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