Left Gauntlet

Culture Italian

Datelate 16th–early 17th century, with decoration from 19th century

Mediumreblued steel and brass with gilding and modern leather

Dimensions20.1 cm (7 15/16 in.), 10 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.1160.15

DescriptionGauntlets: Composited and not a pair, but similarly embossed. Probably Italian, ca. 1600 (cf. to fig. 199 on an armor for combat at the barriers by the master “IO” of the Castle, in the Waffensammlung, Vienna, A. 172 in Boccia, Lombarde; that on a composed barriers armor in the Poldi Pezzoli, Milanese ca. 1600, cat.#20, inv.#343, pp. 16, 25-26 of Collura/Molfino).

The right is very poorly made, blued and gilded, of fingered form (all lacking save thumb mainplate and one lame of same). The one-piece riveted, widely flared cuff with medial ridge is fairly deep but without a point. The edges are inwardly turned over a wire core.

A sunken border filled with plain domed lining rivets with fragments of strap, is formed by an embossed band with terminals volutes on the face, which is pierced at its center with a modern hole. Recurved ribs emanate from the volutes. An embossed rib encircles the wrist and is cusped at the medial ridge. Below this is a single, flush iron rivet to either side of the volutes, perhaps once used to hold the plate when embossed. At the base of the wrist is another transverse rib.

Five associated metacarpal lames without medial ridge, and a dished and scallop-edged knuckle-plate with four empty rivet holes, are secured to the cuff. The knuckle-plate seems to be restored; the next three belong together, as does the last pair to one another. All have been transversely incised with a single thin line as decoration. The rivets securing the lames are slightly domed; two have circular, and one with square washer(s).

The associated thumb lame is riveted to a modern leather tab affixed to the cuff edge. There are three “V”-shaped nicks at leading edge of same.

The left gauntlet is similarly decorated, perhaps slightly post-contemporarily, as it does not form part of a pair with the right, having a squatter, more flared cuff, and much cruder in look.
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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