A Composite Armour
A Composite Armour

COMPREHENSIVELY 16TH CENTURY

Details
A Composite Armour
Comprehensively 16th Century
Of bright steel, comprising a heavy Italian close-helmet for the tilt (slight damage, partly from use in the tournament ?) with one-piece skull with low comb and tubular iron plume-holder, single vision-slit with central division, prow-shaped upper-bevor (associated ?) pierced with a series of small ventilation slits on the right side and lower-bevor, the two fastened together by a wing-nut on the right, the bottom edge with a hollow flange for the top of the gorget, the latter of three plates at front and rear, the top with a prominent roped flange, German cuirass with breast-plate with prominent central point, prominent roped flange at the neck and along the edges of the moveable gussets, and hinged lance-rest, back-plate with culet of a single plate (later), skirt of three plates with hinged one piece tassets (all later), later spaudlers, vambraces, gauntlets (not a pair, some finger-plates missing), and complete legharness with round-toed sabatons, and with later etching throughout including a coat-of-arms on the helmet and breast-plate: on wooden stand

Lot Essay

The arms are those of the distinguished Genevan family of Tronchin, which originated in Provence. The armour supposedly belonged to the founder of the Swiss branch, Remy Tronchin, a French royal officer and a Protestant, who sought refuge in Geneva after the Massacre of Huguenots in Paris on the eve of St. Bartholomew's Day, 24/25 August 1572

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