Right Pauldron

Culture German

Date1800s

Mediumsteel and leather

Dimensions23.5 × 25 × 31 cm (9 1/4 × 9 13/16 × 12 3/16 in.), 2 lb, 15 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.1166.7

DescriptionEach is formed of six lames of which the third is considerably deeper than the rest and bears a haute-piece. In the case of the right pauldron, all six lames overlap upwards while in the case of the left one they overlap outwards from the third. The third lame projects downwards as a wing-like projection at the rear of the right pauldron and both the front and rear of the left pauldron. The flanged outer edges of these projections overlap the inner edge of the fourth to six lames that extend only over the outside of the arms. In the case of both pauldrons, the second and third lames extend inwards beyond the armpit at both the front and the rear, while the first lames extend inwards beyond the armpit at the rear only. The lower edge of the third lame of the right pauldron is cut away in a concave curve over the front of the armpit to accommodate a lance. The lowest four lames of each pauldron are connected to one another by modern round-headed sliding-rivets at their rears and by external leathers at their fronts and centers. The leathers are attached to each lame by a pair of rivets except in the case of the rear leather of the left pauldron which is attached to the third lame only by a single rivet. All of these rivets are externally flush with the exception of those in the third lame of the left pauldron and the sixth lame of the right pauldron, which are round-headed with circular internal washers. In the case of the left pauldron, the first and second lames are connected to one another at the rear by round-headed sliding-rivets with circular internal washers. Otherwise, the first to third lames of the pauldron are connected to one another by modern round-headed rivets at their fronts and by modern internal leathers secured by pairs of rivets at their rears and centers. The rivet that connects the first and second lames at the rear is fitted with a circular internal washer. The rivets that secure the leathers are externally flush with the exception of those in the third lame which are round-headed with circular internal washers. In the case of the right pauldron, the first to third lames are or were formerly connected to one another by modern round-headed rivets at the front and by modern internal leathers secured by pairs of rivets at their rears and centers. The rivet that connects the front of the first lame to the second lame moves in a vertical slot and is fitted with a circular internal washer. The rivets that secure the leathers are externally flush with the exception of those in the third lame which are round-headed with circular internal washers. Since the upper end of the central leather now terminates at the second rather than the first lame, the first and second lames have been rigidly secured to one another just to the front of the leather by a round-headed rivet with a circular internal washer. The rear leather is now represented only by a fragment attached to the third lame. The first to third lames have therefore been rigidly secured to one another by round-headed rivets with circular washers that occupy the inner of the pair of rivet-holes for the attachment of the missing rear leather and the construction-holes aligning with them in the overlying lames. The front and rear edges of each pauldron are fitted with leather lining-bands secured by round-headed rivets with circular internal washers.

Each pauldron is pierced at its apex with a modern keyhole-slot that served to suspend it from the turning-pins hinged at each side of the collar HAM 2588.b. The original circular suspension-hole of the right pauldron is preserved just to the front of its keyhole-slot. The top lame of the left pauldron is restored and therefore lacks an original suspension-hole. Attached by a round-headed rivet at the front end of the lowest lame of each pauldron is a single-ended, tongued iron buckle with simple filed decoration on its flat rectangular loop. The loop receives a strap that passes around the inside of the arm from the rear of the same lame where it is attached by a single rivet. The lowest lame of the right pauldron is pierced just to the front of its central connecting-leather with a large circular hole that would presumably have fitted over a stud formerly riveted at the outside of the turner of the right vambrace HAM 2588.g.

The third lame of each pauldron is fitted with a HAUTE-PIECE that projects upwards and slightly forwards from the front of its upper edge. Each haute-piece has straight, more or less vertical outer edges, and a slightly convex upper edge that rises toward the inside. Its lower edge is in each case flanged outwards to receive the three round-headed rivets that attach it to the pauldron. The front rivet is that which also connects the second and third lames to one another. The right haute-piece is medially ridged. The haute-pieces of both pauldrons are incorrectly fitted within their upper edges with leather lining-bands retained by round-headed rivets with circular internal washers.

The basal flanges of the haute-pieces and the lateral flanges of the third lames of the pauldrons have scalloped edges. The upper edges of the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth lames are decorated at their centers with filed ogees between V-shaped nicks. The third lame of each pauldron is decorated at the point of the shoulder with an embossed octofoil outlined with a single incised line. The lower edge of the sixth lame of the right pauldron has a plain, inward full turn, while the inner edges of the third to six lames have plain, inward partial turns. The remaining outer edge edges of the pauldrons and the upper edges of their haute-pieces have roped inward turns. The turns are in all cases bordered by pairs of recessed bands of which the outer ones are slightly wider than the inner ones and separated from them by raised ribs enclosed by pairs of lines.

The outer of the pairs of recessed bands that border the main edges of the pauldrons and the upper edges of their haute-pieces are finely etched with running foliage and flowers on a stippled and blackened ground, inspired by the decoration of the breastplate and tassets of HAM 2588.c.

The pauldrons are bright with an overall light patina showing deeper pits and minor blemishes at a few points. Some of the lames of the right pauldron show cracks or chips at their edges. The etched border of the upper edge of the right haute-piece lacks a blackened ground.

Although bearing matching etched decoration, the two pauldrons cannot originally have formed a pair. In addition to the major differences of construction and detail highlighted above, it may be noted that the secondary edges of the right pauldron are more heavily beveled than those of the left, and that the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth lames of the right pauldron, unlike the corresponding lames of the left pauldron, are medially ridged. Also the turn at the upper edge of the left haute-piece is more pronounced than that of the right haute-piece but shows weaker roping than the latter.

Each pauldron, moreover, is composite within itself. The top lame of the right pauldron is from a narrow-fronted pauldron, whereas the two lames below it are from broad-fronted pauldrons. The fourth to sixth lames of the same pauldron show some misalignments in the rivets that retained their connecting-leathers, as well as holes at their front that serve no function in their present context, suggesting that these lames have been reworked subsequent to manufacture to adapt them to their present context. The former connection of the rear ends of the first to third lames of the right pauldron by means of internal leathers is unlikely to represent a 16th-century feature. The top lame of the left pauldron is a copy of the corresponding lame of the right pauldron, probably made in the 19th century. The fourth to sixth lames of the same pauldron appear to date from the same time. The embossed octofoil that decorates the third lame of each pauldron appears to be a modern addition in both cases. The pauldrons are more appropriately viewed as 19th-century productions made in part of reworked old plates, than as 16th-century products with associated and restored plates.
ProvenanceStadtrath Richard Zschille (Grossenhain, Saxony) Oliver H.P. Belmont (New York and Newport) Clarence H. Mackay (died 1939) Purchased by Museum on April 1, 1940 from Jacques Seligmann & Co. (NYC), agents for estate of Clarence H. Mackay, dealer's no. A-41/114. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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