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German, about 1530. Wallace Collection (Laking Catalogue, No. 381)

close helmets of the Maximilian order, in the construction of which the armourer has set himself the task of imitating in metal the slashed and puffed civilian dress of the time. In the cutting of the civilian costume fanciful allusion to the slashing received in battle by the wearer is intended, and in much of the armour of the time this fashion is faithfully copied. This puffed and slashed ornamentation may be considered as one of the first attempts at decorating the surface of armour by embossing from the inner surface. The suit in the Imperial Armoury of Vienna, attributed to Wilhelm von Rogendorf, closely follows the fashion of the civilian dress of the time (Vol. iii, Fig. 1040). In the Tower of London are portions of such a suit (Vol. iii, Fig. 1043). The Musée d'Artillerie of Paris is fortunate in possessing a full suit of this same decoration which is said to have belonged to Giuliano de' Medici (Vol. iii, Fig. 1045). In Wallace Collection, Laking Catalogue, No. 380 (Vol. iii, Fig. 1042), there is a three-quarter suit, formerly in the Meyrick Collection, constructed on this principle, the helmet of which, though not actually belonging to the suit, we propose to illustrate as a fine example of a head-piece with slashed ornamentation, No. 381 (Fig. 1186). The skull-piece is flattened in form, and has five combs with slashed ornaments; the visor and mezeil are in one, of bellows form, having narrow horizontal ocularia and slits for breathing purposes. The chin-piece is somewhat exceptional, as being of but one plate hinged on the