Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/212

 This design, chased in low relief on the crest of the casque, takes the form of Greek scrolls or waves, with ornaments formed of three pods of the broad bean growing from a stem with small leaves. On each side of the skull-piece of the casque is depicted a combat of the Centaurs and the Lapithae. A lion's mask surrounded by boughs and an interwoven strapwork pattern decorates the umbril of the casque, the neck-piece duplicating in its enrichment the interwoven boughs. On the hinged ear-pieces, which still retain their terminating plates, is the head of a Medusa. A small cabelling runs round the edge of the casque. Two screw rings fixed to the ear-pieces serve for the attachment of a buffe, of which we shall have occasion to speak later. Except the Greek scrolls and the interwoven strapwork pattern, which are blued steel, the whole helmet is gilded in that rather pale tone noticeable only in French armour of the XVIth century. The beauty of its simple shape, the composition and richness of its ornamentation, the admirable drawing and wonderful clearness of its chasing, its reposeful tone and perfect state of preservation, render this casque one of the most remarkable pieces of French armour extant. The author has most carefully examined this head-piece, and has no hesitation in assigning to it a French provenance. The style of the great Italian armourers and chasers of the XVIth century is known. The works of the Negroli, of Picinino, of Giorgio Ghisi, of Pompeo della Casa and others, all have their own distinguishing peculiarities. They are marked by bold chasing, by outlines in strong relief, or by very artistic but not detailed drawing; while in the application of gold enrichment the gold is strong in colour, and often in the case of damascening almost over-*abundant. In the casque under discussion the relief is very little marked; but the modelling is admirable, the artist producing his effect by a skilful use of perspective. If we were asked to make a comparison we should say that the art shown in the decoration of this casque is like the delicate art of the medal designer, who has to model with a minimum amount of relief; whereas the art of the Italian armour embosser resembles that of the sculptor, who can use whatever relief he chooses. Besides this, the arrangement of the figures, of the masks, trophies, interlaced patterns or straps, and other ornaments of the pieces, shows a remarkable resemblance to the decoration seen on certain French furniture of the second half of the XVIth century, on the Limoges painted enamels, and, in short, on all known French applied art of this period. In the work of the Italian chasers the details of draperies, the muscles of bodies, the rendering of trophies, in fact, the enrichments generally, are never depicted with that extreme, almost