Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 3).djvu/375



Italian, in the first manner of Lucio Picinino of Milan, about 1560. Riggs Collection, Metropolitan Museum, New York

collar is an oval cartouche, on which is engraved the motto:, together with the figure of a woman standing and holding a skull in her right hand. On the upper portion of the backpiece is the figure of a giant grasping the collar of the Golden Fleece with his hands. The principal design of the ornamentation consists in embossed bands alternating with plain bands blued, in the midst of which are continuous etched ribbons fully gilt. The embossing takes the form of a profusion of mythological personages, warriors, terms, fancy figures, cupids, trophies, flowers, fruits, birds, and musical instruments, the style and drawing of which are admirable. We remarked that in the inventory prepared at Guadalajara in 1643 the complete suit, inclusive of the leg defences, the strengthening buffe and chanfron, are mentioned as being then in existence. When, however, the Sessa suit was sold at Paris with the Spitzer Collection in 1893 the leg defences, the strengthening buffe, and the chanfron were no longer with it. Where the former pieces now are is unfortunately still unknown; but we may say