Left Pauldron

Artist Valentin Siebenbürger , or (German, 1510–1564)

Dateabout 1540

MediumSteel, iron, brass and leather

Dimensions19 × 39 × 29 cm (7 1/2 × 15 3/8 × 11 7/16 in.), 4 lb (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

MarkingsThe pauldrons have punched serial dots, a Nuremberg view-mark and the mark of Siebenbürger, with painted "NR20" within the left pauldron. Neither pauldron has chevronic marks. The mainlame has a very small triangular grouping of three small dots punched on the face of the front armpit.

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.1164.5

DescriptionWhile this is of similar construction to the right, the two do not form a matching pair. The flutes are narrower and are bordered above with a slight scooped bevel. The flutes on the mainplate over the shoulder-blade are obliquely set, not vertical as on the right defense, and are nearly at right angles to those over the outside of the arm. The topmost lame, bearing both the Nuremberg and Siebenburger marks, is a contemporary association to those below. It lacks the sunken border of its partner, has two punched serial dots instead of five, and has the red-painted “NR.20” within. Unlike that of the right, the edge is turned over a wire core. On the inner face, the terminals are punched with a single dot, as are the five lames below the mainlame. The mainplate has a better-executed double-sunken border with a thinner rib separating the bands.

Extending across the top edge, from the sunken bands to the front edge is a plain shallow sunken band etched below with a thin incised line. This provides the upper limit of the flutes, and may indicate that the right plate was cut off at this point and its ends extended. The anterior terminal of this lame is shallower than that of the right, and has a plain, unturned edge which may have been cut back and re-shaped.

The hole pierced for the besague is modern; this pauldron seems to have been similar to those found on a Stechzeug at Warsaw (#108x/1-7) (see Zygulski) which have not been pierced for besagues.

There are five upwardly-overlapping, fluted lames below the mainplate. These are of equal depth with recurved basal edges within, except for the terminal lame which is very deep and curves down and to the rear along its angularly, inwardly-turned and double-sunken band-bordered lower edge. This lame is fitted with a transverse buckle-and-strap encircling the upper arm. There is an empty rivet hole at the rear upper edge of the first lame below the main-lame.
Provenance(probably) ex-Nuremberg "Zeughaus" Germanisches Museum (Nuremberg) (to c. 1905) Counts Erbach-Erbach (Erbach in Odenwald) E. Kahlert und Sohn (Berlin) Clarence H. Mackay (Roslyn, L.I) Purchased by the Armory from Jacques Seligmann & Co., Inc. (NYC), agents for the Mackay estate, on 1 April 1940, as #A-43/120. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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