Closed Burgonet with Triple-Barred Faceguard, for a Cuirassier

Cultureprobably Southern German , perhaps Nuremberg

Date1580–1600

Mediumsteel

Dimensions37.6 × 21.8 × 35.2 cm (14 13/16 × 8 9/16 × 13 7/8 in.), 4 lb 12 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.1058

DescriptionSteel. 1-piece skull with narrow low roped comb. Base of neck encircled by single row of lining-rivets with domed heads, below which either side is pierced with a transverse set of small holes for adjustment of drawstrings. Flush rivets across brow. Downturned basal flange with rivets for leather of gorget lames now lost.

Pivoted at the temples is the bevor and fall with barred face-guard. The pivots are circular, slightly rounded (the right is original and incised with an eight-pointed star; the left is later; but old, with a four-armed star motif).

Bevor with pronounced chin, with a low medial ridge. An internal basal flange, to the end of which are a pair of riveted gorget lames below, lames overlapping upward. These apparently worked originally on five internal leathers only, but were riveted together at the vertical ends and center on the flange during the working life of the piece. The lames deepen slightly to mid-length, with a bevelled upper edge that has a deep v-shaped nick at the medial line. The basal lame has an inwardly-turned, deeply roped edge bordered with a wide shallow plain recessed border filled with domed lining-rivets, one of which retains a circular hollow iron washer. The inner edge of the border is set off by a thin incised line.

The sides of the bevor are pierced at the cheek with six holes in a hexagonal pattern around a seventh. The facial opening is deep-nearly straight across the brow and deeply curved to the chin where it rises in a low cusp. Both pieces have a hollow-flanged, file-roped finish.

Bevor & skull secured at right with pivot-hook & eye.

Pivoted, pointed fall, bracket-cut at mid-width, curving into rounded terminals at sides. Fall is nearly level across the brow, with a turned, recessed edge like the gorget-plate below. It extends slightly over the brow, bracket-cut at the medial line, and curves above and below to the rounded terminals of the pivots. The flat of the fall is pierced at center and to either side with transverse, oval holes through which pass the vertical bars of an iron sliding face-guard. This is of one piece, with bars of half-round section having right-angled, rounded tabs above, retaining the guard and curves down over the opening and formed to the top of the chin, where it is secured by a spring-post riveted to the bevor at the medial ridge. The central arm is longer than the other two and engages a long staple riveted at the bracket-cut edge of the fall. It is decoratively incised and bevelled.

Skull rear has been cut out, with loss of nape lames.
ProvenancePurchased by the Museum at the Morosini sale #3986 at the American Art Association (NYC), October 10-15, 1932, lot #319. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

On View

Not on view

Collections