Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 1).djvu/259

 that family in the oldest inventories, that it is obviously Milanese in provenance, and that it follows the fashion in armour which prevailed during the period (about 1470-80) in which Robert of San Severino was doing his hardest fighting: so in the circumstances it is not unreasonable to accept the story told concerning its original ownership.

In the Vienna Armoury is also shown a suit of armour which is very much on the lines of that just described, and which, in all probability, is also the work of Antonio da Missaglia. It is recorded, and probably correctly, as having been worn by Ferdinand V, the catholic king of Aragon, 1453-1516. We think it right to illustrate it, because though it greatly resembles the harness of San Severino, it furnishes a few interesting points of divergence (Fig. 217). Made for a man of small stature it presents certain clumsily proportioned defences which, while affording very complete protection, make it unattractive from the armourer-artist's point of view. The head-piece is an armet with a strapped on buffe; straps at the side also assist to attach the placate to the main breastplate. The differentiated pauldrons are unimportant plates in front, but at the back are so developed as almost to overlap. The defences of the feet are those demi-sollerets made of plates, which protect only the upper and instep portion of the foot; while the toes and remainder of the feet depend upon a defence of chain mail. This is a type of solleret often depicted in Italian pictures of the time, as, for instance, in the beautiful figure of St. Michael by Pietro Vannucci in the National Gallery (Fig. 218); but in actual existence it is only known to the present writer on this one suit. The decoration of the Ferdinand harness is unusual for one of the period. It consists in rivets attaching circular outside washers, etched and gilt; these border the tuille tassets and are found about the suit generally. We would assign this suit to a date between 1480 and 1490, or just before Ferdinand's successful conquest of Granada.