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Gauntlets: HEN.M.17G-1933

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown (Possibly)

Entities

Categories

Description

A pair of gauntlets, for use by a cuirassier. The gauntlets are each formed of a moderately short, flared cuff, a wrist-plate, five metacarpal-plates, a knuckle-plate, a finger-plate, four-scaled finger-defences and a scaled thumb-defence. The cuff is of tubular form with an overlapped and riveted join at the inside of the wrist where its lower edge is markedly cut away in a concave curve. The upper edge of the cuff, which has a plain inward turn bordered by lining-rivets, rises to an obtuse point at the outside of the arm where it is medially-ridged. The lower edge of the cuff overlaps a wrist-plate which is itself overlapped by a series of five upward-overlapping metacarpal-plates. The fifth metacarpal-plate, which is longer than the rest, is overlapped at its lower edge by a knuckle-plate that in turn overlaps a short finger-plate. The last metacarpal-plate, the knuckle-plate and the finger-plate are all shaped between the knuckles and fingers. The cuff, the wrist-plate, the metacarpal-plate, the knuckle-plate and the finger-plate are all connected to one another at their outer ends by modern rivets. Riveted within the finger-plate are four finger-defences formed of between three to six downward overlapping scales secured by rivets to an underlying leather strip. The final scale of each defence has a rounded, terminal and is decorated with a single incised line representing the top of a fingernail. Attached by a broad leather hinge to the sides of the metacarpal-plates is a thumb-defence formed of seven scales that overlap outwards from the fourth and are secured by rivets to an underlying strip. The upper four scales are medially ridged. The lowest scale matches the lowest scale of the finger-defences. A later buff-leather lining glove is riveted within the edges of the gauntlet and sewn to the underlying leather strips of the finger and thumb-defences. Part of the composite three-quarter armour HEN.M.17A-G-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

17th Century#
Circa 1620 CE - 1630 CE

Note

The armour is bright with a variable light to medium patination overall. It has suffered some dents, buckles and cracks.

Components of the work

Lining Glove composed of leather ( modern)
Underlying Strip composed of leather
Right Gauntlet Depth 13.5 cm Height 32.8 cm Weight 0.52 kg Width 14.5 cm
Left Gauntlet Depth 14.4 cm Height 32.5 cm Weight 0.52 kg Width 14.3 cm
Cuff, Upper Edge
Decoration
Parts
Thumb-defence
Upper Four Scales

Materials used in production

Steel

Techniques used in production

Hammering : The gauntlets are each formed of a moderately short, flared cuff, a wrist-plate, five metacarpal-plates, a knuckle-plate, a finger-plate, four-scaled finger-defences and a scaled thumb-defence; hammered, shaped, riveted, hinged with raised, incised, etched and file-roped decoration
Patinating
Forming

Identification numbers

Accession number: HEN.M.17G-1933
Primary reference Number: 18000
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 6 February 2020 Last processed: Thursday 7 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Gauntlets" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/18000 Accessed: 2024-11-19 06:36:59

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/18000 |title=Gauntlets |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-19 06:36:59|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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