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Right Pauldron

Culture Italian

Date19th century

Mediumreblued steel and brass with gilding and modern leather and velvet

Dimensions22.2 × 18 × 12.9 cm (8 3/4 × 7 1/16 × 5 1/16 in.), 1 lb 3 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.1160.6

DescriptionThese are both restorations (ca. 1892) by Daniel Tachaux (Paris), then in service to M. V.R. Bachereau (Paris dealer). There are no pauldrons in the Asselineau or Richards sale images.

Of russeted steel and parcel-gilt, they are each fashioned as a lion’s mask, in the style of Filippo Negroli or Bartolommeo Campi, North Italian ca. 1540-46 (cf. to a similar pauldron in Boccia, Lombarde, fig. 123, p. 121, Museo Stibbert#11586; another pair of A. 188 at Madrid in Boccia/Coelho; in same, a similarly-featured burgonet by Filippo and Francesco Negroli, 1538, at the Bargello, M771, fig. 253).

The outer edges over the shoulder of both are inwardly turned and deeply file-roped, and marked with a pair of small nicks on the rear lower inner edge of the right, and three on the anterior basal edge of the left. The transverse, slightly scalloped border across the lower edge of the face is hollow-embossed and plain.

There are nine iron rivets with octagonal washers around the shoulder, that at the center securing a double buckle with single tang. Five of the rivets are completely modern dome-headed restorations; the irregularly-rounded ones are old but associated. The buckle of the left is old. All retain traces of a modern fabric type under the washers.

Traces of gilding remain on the edges and rivet heads, recessed details and eyeballs.

Attached to the lower edge of each are two associated, blued and gilded lames, from the last half of the 16th century. The set articulates on a central internal leather secured below the “nose” of the mask, and on anterior pivoting-, and posterior sliding-rivets. The upper lames of the pairs have hollow-embossed lower edges roped differently than the lower. The terminals of the right upper lame appear to have been cut back; that of the rear edge is also nick marked as the pauldron above. Both of the lames of the left are double-nicked at mid-rear, upper inner edge. There are two vacant holes at the articulating rivets of the right lame, suggesting that new holes have been made. The lame below has an inwardly turned and roped edge. The cut-down rear terminal of this lame, as well as the other are fitted with an old double buckle with single tang.

At the medial area of both is a recent horizontal slot for the vambrace turning-pins. Opposite the buckle of each is a modern brass domed rivet with floral brass rosette securing another modern leather transverse strap.

The pauldrons have a lining band similar to that on the cuirass.
ProvenanceEx-collection of prince Peter Soltykoff (St. Petersburg, Russia, ca. 1845) le Chevalier Raoul Richards (Rome, Italy, no later than 3 March 1890) V.R. Bachereau (Paris, France, 1890(?)-1892/4(?)) Lazzarone (Italy, 1892(?)-NLT 10 December 1894) Oliver H.P. Belmont (NYC and Newport, RI, post 1894) Clarence H. Mackay (Roslyn, L.I., NLT 1939) Jacques Seligmann & Co., Inc. (NYC, to 18 July 1939) Purchased by Museum on July 18, 1939 from Jacques Seligmann & Co., Inc (NYC), agents for estate of Clarence H. Mackay. Higgins Armory Museum (Worcester, 18 July 1939-2014) Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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