Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 1).djvu/275

 between the nationalities of suits or of pieces of armour: and, perhaps generally speaking, such teaching is incontrovertible—in theory. But when it is remembered that Italian armourers worked in Germany, France, and Spain, and that German and French armourers were also liable to roam abroad in large numbers, the difficulty of arriving at any absolute and definitive classification becomes at times almost insuperable. From a description of the Baron de Cosson which the author kindly allows us to quote we are able to give an admirable instance of a suit of armour dating possibly within the third quarter of the XVth century, which though certainly made in Italy is of the most pronounced Franco-German fashion. We refer to a very beautiful suit now in the Metropolitan Museum of New York purchased with the Duc de Dino's Collection (Fig. 240, a, b, c).

This suit owes its present state of completeness to the late M. Spitzer of Paris; but we may look upon its principal parts as true and authentic examples of that confusing combination of nationalities and style to which we have referred. Prior to its incorporation in the Spitzer Collection, it was in that of M. Louis Carrand, and until recently has been considered as entirely a German achievement. The armour is incontestably of German shape, à la façon d'Allemagne; but an examination of the armourer's marks found on the various parts justifies us in doubting whether it was made in Germany. Moreover the form of the salade head-piece has, in our opinion, a French look. If this armour is carefully scrutinized three different kinds of marks are found on it, a peculiarity not unknown to the armour of the XVth century. But what is singular is that all the marks of this most German-looking harness have a distinctly Italian character. The Baron de Cosson has for the past thirty years been collecting all the marks which he has noted on armour and weapons, with the result that he is now in a position to distinguish with certainty between the type of mark used in Italy and that of German or Spanish armourers. On this suit are a certain number of marks the character and signification of which are not very clear; but the Baron does not hesitate to say that all the marks found on this armour are Italian.

Was this armour produced in Italy?

The Baron de Cosson thinks it was not, because during the second half of the XVth century, the suits à la façon d'Italie were, as we have shown, the most perfected from the defensive point of view, and because the Italians have never closely copied the German styles. But we must remember that towards the end of the XVth century a great number of Italian armourers