Bottom Lame of a Fauld (breastplate skirt)

Culture Southern German , perhaps Augsburg

Dateabout 1570

Mediumetched and embossed steel

Dimensions7.7 × 33.7 × 20 cm (3 1/16 × 13 1/4 × 7 7/8 in.), 6 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.934

DescriptionSingle lame of steel, heavily corroded, curved outward over the tops of the thighs, with a pronounced "spring" at the hips. The upper edge of the lame dips noticeably toward the roundly arched fork. The edges at the fork and the vertical side edges are inwardly turned and dentated. The upper edge is pierced near the terminals for attachment to another lame or the breastplate flange.

Centered on either side of the fork is a set of roughly formed, flat-headed rivets retaining fragments of tasset straps. A similar set, but slightly larger is fitted closer to the side edges. On the lower edge below the fork-mounted rivets is a punched pair of holes for leathers (the set of holes at the right is corroded away); the holes near the side set of rivets are single ones.

The heavily corroded lame is decorated with five radiating bands at the sides, fork and one centered to either side. The decoration of the bands consists of transverse foliate, tendril-etched and blackened sunken etched bands alternating with slightly raised plain ones with thin blackened etched-band borders. This central motif is vertically framed by a sunken, blackened band, etched with a running foliate motif. These bands are themselves edged with alternating isosceles triangular etched projections and trefoil lobate designs. All etching has a blackened granular ground.
ProvenancePurchased by John W. Higgins on September 28, 1929 from the estate of Bashford Dean (Riverdale, NY), as part of his lot 117a,b. Given to the Museum on July 1, 1954. Price paid for lot 117a, b (two unrelated pieces) was $10.00. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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