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 and early years of the XVIIth century was a sufficient guard for the right hand; but the left hand grasping the dagger, the guard of which at that period had not developed more than the ordinary quillons, was much exposed, and therefore required a special duelling gauntlet. Such gauntlets were termed guanti di presa by Italian writers of the XVIth century; for not only did they protect the left hand when holding a dagger, they also served to parry a thrust, or to seize an adversary's blade, being often lined with chain mail, like an example we have already pictured (Fig. 532).

Early XVIIth century

Collection: Author

Late XVIth century

Collection: Author

We illustrate two gauntlets of this type. The first (Fig. 584), an example with a short cuff and close arrangement of scales on the fingers, is a specimen belonging to the early years of the XVIIth century. The second (Fig. 585), a gauntlet in which the cuff is much longer, and is enriched with embossing and gilding, dates from the closing years of the XVIth century. This latter duelling gauntlet was formerly in the collection of Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick. It is figured in Skelton's Engraved Illustrations of that collection (Plate LXXIX, Fig. 2).