Unknown (Possibly)
Gauntlet for the left hand, of fingered form, for field use. Formed of a fairly short, flared cuff, six metacarpal-plates, a knuckle-plate, five scaled finger-defences and a hinged, scaled thumb-defence. The cuff is formed of an outer plate and a shorter inner plate. The latter fits within the former and is secured to it at each side by two modern brass-capped, round-headed rivets. The medially-ridged outer plate rises to an obtuse central point. The upper edge of the cuff has a plain inward turn accompanied by nineteen modern round-headed lining-rivets. One of the rivets at each side is also that which secures the inner and outer plates of the cuff to one another. The rivets are of brass-capped iron, except for one which is of solid brass. Seven of the rivets are fitted with circular or octagonal internal washers that in most cases retain fragments of a buff-leather lining-band. The lower edge of the cuff has a plain inward turn at the inside of the wrist. The outer plate of the cuff is overlapped by a series of six upward-overlapping metacarpal-plates, the last of which is slightly longer than the rest and overlapped by a knuckle-plate. The metacarpal-plates and the knuckle-plate are all medially-ridged. The knuckle-plate is also transversely-ridged and shaped between the fingers. The last metacarpal-plate is pierced just to the front of its centre with a later wiring-hole that has subsequently been partially closed by hammering. The cuff, the metacarpal-plates and the knuckle-plate are connected to one another at their outer ends by modern brass or brass-capped, round-headed rivets with circular or octagonal internal washers. The rivets at the rear and the rivets that connect the third to fifth lames to one another at the front, retain modern buff-leather lining-bands. The upper edge of the knuckle-plate projects as a rounded lobe at its articulation-points. Attached within the knuckle-plate by pairs of round-headed rivets are four finger-defences formed of between five and six medially-ridged, downward-overlapping scales, of which the last has a rounded end, slightly shaped to the finger-tip. The rivets that attach the first to third finger-defences are of brass-capped iron with circular internal washers, while those that attach the fourth finger-defence are of solid brass with octagonal internal washers. The scales of the finger-defences are secured to their underlying leather strips by pairs of externally-flush rivets. Each of the terminal scales is additionally secured at its tip by a round-headed rivet which is of brass-capped iron with a circular internal washer, except in the case of the fourth finger-defence where it is of solid brass with an octagonal internal washer. The finger-defences are probably associated and in part restored. Attached by a modern buff-leather hinge to the front edge of the gauntlet is a thumb-defence. The hinge is secured to the gauntlet by the same rivets that connect the fourth to sixth metacarpal-plates to one another. It is secured to the rear edge of the main plate of the thumb-defence by a pair of round-headed rivets with square internal washers. The upper rivet is of brass-capped iron, while the lower rivet is of solid brass. The main plate is of lozenge shape with a rounded upper end and a truncated lower end where it overlaps two downward-overlapping scales matching those of the finger-defences. The brass-capped, round-headed rivet with a circular internal washer located at the tip of the terminal scale does not pass through its underlying leather strip. The main plate is medially-ridged. A transverse ridge runs from the point of the knuckle to its rear edge. A brass-capped, round-headed rivet with a circular internal washer located at the rear edge of the main plate retains a fragment of a modern buff-leather loop that passed around the thumb. Part of the composite armour HEN.M.14A-L-1933.
History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex.
J.S. Henderson Bequest
Depth: 13.1 cm
Height: 31.4 cm
Weight: 0.52 kg
Width: 13.3 cm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart
17th Century, Early#
Production date:
circa
AD 1620
The gauntlet is bright with a light patination overall, except on the finger-defences which show a medium patination.
Lining-band
composed of
leather
( fragments)
Loop
composed of
leather
( modern, fragments)
Lining-bands
composed of
leather
( modern, rivets that connect 3rd to 5th lames to one another at the front of cuff, and at rear)
Rivets, Caps
composed of
brass (alloy)
( modern)
Hinge
composed of
leather
( modern)
Lining-rivet
composed of
brass (alloy)
( one is solid brass)
Lining-rivets
composed of
iron (metal)
Lining-rivet Caps
composed of
brass (alloy)
Decoration
Finger-defences
Knuckle-plate
Main Plate
Metacarpal-plates
Outer Plate
Parts
Thumb-defence
Hammering
: Formed of a fairly short, flared cuff, six metacarpal-plates, a knuckle-plate, five scaled finger-defences, and a hinged, scaled thumb-defence; hammered, shaped, riveted, medially and transversely-ridged, with incised decoration
Patinating
Forming
Accession number: HEN.M.14J-1933
Primary reference Number: 17930
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) "Gauntlet" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/17930 Accessed: 2024-11-04 18:10:30
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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/17930
|title=Gauntlet
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-04 18:10:30|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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