Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/159

 outline of the head-piece was affected. For very complete proof of this, there are in existence not only Leonardo da Vinci's drawings of parade head-*pieces, which are of course masterly designs of exuberant ornamentation (Fig. 1217), but existing helmets showing the same elaboration of form. Before we allude to these, however, we will examine a few of those finer Italian open casques which show flamboyance of decoration as applied to plate armour still restrained within the limits of perfect taste.

Made in 1479, showing a grotesque head-piece of the burgonet order

Probably no head-piece has survived which can boast of a more authentic or definite history than the first of the Italian embossed burgonets we now illustrate (Fig. 1218). It is an open helmet with gilded enrichment on a ground-*work the surface of which is russeted. In the centre, on either side, springing from above the ear-piece, is a fleur-de-lis, from which rise two schemes of scrollwork, terminating in flowers and fruit enclosing a head, full