Burgonet: HEN.M.81-1933

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

• Burgonet

Categories

• Armour

Description

Burgonet, for infantry or light cavalry use, decorated with fluting in the Italian fashion. Formed of a rounded, one-piece skull, a pivoted peak, a pair of hinged cheek-pieces, and a neck-defence of four lames. The skull has a low, roped comb and is decorated at either side with a spray of flutes of v-section, separated by single incised lines, that radiate upwards and outwards from the pivot of the peak to a recessed band that is bordered above by a rib of v-section enclosed by a pair of incised lines and runs parallel with the comb. The lower edge of the skull is fitted at the front with an internal, leather lining-band retained by nine externally-flush rivets, and at either side of the rear with a modern leather loop retained by a modern externally-flush rivet. Attached to the front of the skull by a pair of riveted pivots with low conical heads decorated with eight, radiating incised lines, is the slightly down-turned peak with short, rounded arms and a rounded front edge with a file-roped inward turn. The cheek-pieces overlap the skull and are attached to it by plain, internal hinges with rounded ends that are set within shallow rectangular notches cut into the lower edge of the skull at either side. Each hinge is secured by a single externally-flush rivet at its upper end and a pair of modern, round-headed rivets at its lower end. The latter straddle a further, possibly original rivet-hole in the hinge for which no corresponding hole exists in the cheek-piece. The front and lower edges of each cheek-piece, which are respectively slightly concave and flanged outwards as a continuation of the neck-defence, have file-roped inward turns accompanied in the case of the lower edge by shallow, recessed borders. The upper and rear edges of each cheek-piece curve into a shallow, notched section that accommodates the hinge. The upper end of each cheek-piece is pierced with six holes surrounding a further single hole. The uppermost hole on the right cheek-piece is now occupied by the rear of the pair of rivets that secures the lower end of the hinge. The front edge of each cheek-piece is fitted with a modern, internal, leather lining-band secured by five modern, externally-flush rivets. The lower front corner of each cheek-piece is fitted with a modern, internal leather loop secured by two modern, externally-flush rivets. The medially-ridged neck-defence is formed of four downward-overlapping lames, of which the last is considerably deeper than the rest and flanged outwards. Its lower edge has a file-roped inward turn. The lower edges of the first three lames and of the skull are decorated at their centres with filed ogees. The lames are connected to the skull and to one another at their outer ends by modern, round-headed rivets with octagonal internal washers. The upper end of the last lame is fitted with a modern, internal lining-band secured by five modern, externally-flush rivets. The lower edge of the rear of the skull, and the upper end of the last lame of the neck-defence are each pierced on the left side with a pair of horizontally aligned rivet-holes, probably of later date and intended to attach a plume-tube. The lower edge of the neck-defence is pierced at its centre with a pair of later wiring-holes.

Notes

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

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Place(s) associated

• Nuremburg

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

16th Century, Early#
Circa 1520 CE - 1530 CE

Note

South German, Nuremberg

The differences in the character of the turned edges, the recessed borders and the surfaces of the metal, indicate, in conjunction with the now vacant holes in the lower ends of their hinges, that the present cheek-pieces are associated with the helmet.

The helmet has a blackened finish, worn through to bright metal in patches.