Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 1).djvu/264



From a picture by dei Zaganelli dated 1505. Showing Milanese armour made in the manner of Tomaso da Missaglia. Brera, Milan

Garter, sent him by King Henry VII of England. Girt on the same side is his clearly rendered sword; while also on his dexter side, on the top step of the throne, is his accurately painted head-piece—an armet with its reinforced buffe. The suit of armour he wears is entirely free from decoration, its splendidly modelled parts alone lifting it above the ordinary apparel of the rank and file. The second picture of Frederico da Montefeltro shows him kneeling in prayer (Fig. 226), apparently in the same suit of fighting armour; but the coudes are altered and the massive pauldrons, à la façon d'Italie, are in position. The same sword is girt to his side and the same armet head-piece rests on the ground. Mention of the great Italian pauldrons reminds us of that strange custom, seemingly peculiar to Italy, of wearing the very wide-*sleeved chain-mail hauberk over and not under the rere-brace plates. This is very apparent in both these portraits of Montefeltro; but it is even more clearly rendered in a fine line and wash drawing preserved in the Royal Library of Munich (Fig. 227). Here Montefeltro can be seen mounted upon his war horse, his right arm extended, holding the baton. In this drawing will be noticed the short but very wide sleeve of the mail hauberk covering the plates of the rere-brace, over which fits the great pauldron, though how the latter was held in position it is now very difficult to determine. How awkward these great Italian harnesses appear to-day! their shape, seemingly, being more strongly influenced by the fashion of the day than by any consideration for the material comfort of the wearer. This observation is the fruit of experience; for we have put on a harness of this fashion—a very accurate copy of an Italian late XVth century suit. Though the cleverly made suit happened to fit us, the construction of the ungainly pauldron, à la façon d'Italie,