Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 5).djvu/151

 served as a foundation for re-etching, is seen in our next illustration (Fig. 1542). It is now in a famous Dresden collection. Harnesses purporting to be of late XVIth century date, entirely modern, exist of course in large quantities, some not ineffective in their appearance. In the case of one suit which came under the author's notice, made in Nuremberg in about 1875, and etched in bands with foliage in the manner of a harness of about 1560, the plates were thick and far too heavy. The author was recently shown two complete suits purporting to be of about the same date, but far more elaborate, finer in workmanship, and excellent in the simulation of age—indeed most deceptive; they were made as recently as 1911 in one of the suburbs of Paris.

With the surface etched in the XIXth century

It is extremely difficult to give such information to the inexperienced amateur as will enable him to detect the appearance of new or modern etching upon armour; indeed it is almost as impossible to do so as it is to enunciate a rule which will assist the inexperienced collector to distinguish a genuine painting by an old master from a mere copy. There are very varying degrees in the quality of modern work done by the decorators of armour. Some of the best draw with great precision and execute the aqua fortis etching admirably. But the more ordinary work produced is faulty and weak in drawing; while the actual process of etching is often carelessly executed. With this result, that the edges of the various forms that constitute the decoration are ragged and badly bitten by the acid; while the dots that usually cover the groundwork are unequal in size and are not evenly disposed as in etching found upon the genuine plate armour of the XVIth and of even the XVIIth century. An example of bad modern etching can be studied on the breastplate we illustrate (Fig. 1543). Occasionally the etched ornaments found upon suits are gilded. They are even mercury gilt, often with good effect; for the gold, which is cleverly toned down in colour, helps to soften the harsh appearance of the indifferent etching (Fig. 1544).