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A RARE BORNU CUIRASS ARMOR

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:NA Estimated At:1,200.00 - 1,400.00 USD
A RARE BORNU CUIRASS ARMOR
Auctions Imperial is pleased to announce our 2013 sale, to be held March 16 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Timonium, Maryland. Over 300 lots of choice antique arms and armor including armor, helmets, shields, swords, daggers, battleaxes, maces, halberds, matchlocks, flintlocks and percussion pieces will be offered. Our fine selection for 2013 includes broadswords, baskethilts, shamshirs, shashkas, palas, kindjals, khanjars, tulwars and spears, as well as chain mail and breastplates. This sale will also include important swords and daggers from the Greek War of Independence and the armor of the K...
A very seldom-encountered type. Of characteristic form, composed of a series of handwrought steel plates connected by rivets, completely covering the torso and shoulders, with applied brass studs to the reverse and much original finish. With its handwoven and embroidered padded tunic. 17th century or later. Some wear. The Bornu Empire was founded c. 1400 in what is now Northeast Nigeria, and endured until the late 19th century. By the 16th century, strong Arab and Turkish military influence had led to the development of a fearsome, elite plate-armored Bornu cavalry. For quite similar see the example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art arms and armor collection: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/26601 and G. Stone, A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor (1934: Portland. Southworth.) p. 69. Height of cuirass 49.7 cm.
Condition II