Burgonet with Falling Buffe

Culture Southern German , probably Augsburg

Dateabout 1580

Mediumsteel with etching and gilding, iron, brass, leather fragments and modern leather with restorations

Dimensions3 lb 9 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

MarkingsInterior painted accession number

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.660.1

DescriptionBurgonet with high, roped comb. Integral triangular peak, and deep hinged cheekpieces. Modern, brass plume-holder. Traces of original leather lining remain. Buffe of two articulating plates pivoting on the chinplate. Skull flange at base fitted with riveted single gorget lame. Associated, broad cheekpiece hinged at upper rear. Pierced in a circular pattern with nine holes (eight only on left cheekpiece). Pivot-hooks to rear of cheek to secure buffe. Borders inwardly rolled and roped.

Gilt, etched decoration of central lozenge with intertwined strapwork. This crosses in an ellipse within the lozenge, forms a trilobate pattern on either side. Cross over again as an ellipse connected to reversed "C"- formed straps. Background a sea of coiled foliate tendrils conforming to the strapwork borders. The whole within thin, black bordered lines. This pattern found on sides of comb, longitudinal bands over skull; borders of peak; cheekpiece; gorget lame. Perforations for hearing etched in a circular pattern, and with two crossed cusped, irregularly-rectangular designs, all gilt and within quadruple concentric circular, and repeated "S" circular borders. The upper edge of the gorget pate, upper and posterior edges of the cheekpiece have this same repeated motif.

Buffe associated to burgonet. Two articulating plates pivoting on the bevor. Secured with two spring-catches. The upper lame has an inwardly rolled edge which is over a wire core and roped. Below this is an embossed, rounded step pierced with oblique, divergent rectangular slots. Gorget of two riveted lames, slightly cusped at mid-point. Buffe etched later to match helmet.
Provenance(Possibly) Herberstein family, Eggenberg Castle (possibly) M. Bachereau (Paris) Mr. Oliver H. P. Belmont (NYC) ex-collection Mr. Clarence H. Mackay (Roslyn, L.I.). Purchased by the Museum through Jacques Seligmann & Co. (NYC), agents for the estate of Clarence H. Mackay on 1 April 1940. Their number A-14/104. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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