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Composite Suit of Armor in the 16th Century Northern Italy Pisan Style

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:5,000.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD
Composite Suit of Armor in the 16th Century Northern Italy Pisan Style
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Composite Suit of Armor in the 16th Century Northern Italy Pisan Style

This example has bands of etched decoration on the helmet, breastplate, back plate, right pauldron, right arm defense and tassets. The helmet uses a swiveling hook and pierced stud to latch the bevor to the skull and the ventail to the bevor. The skull and visor of the close helmet appear to be original 1570-1590 Italian. The ventail and bevor are high quality replacements. There is a brass plume holder at the rear with red plume. There are traces of an old leather lining riveted inside. The gorget appears to be Italian and collar is from a different source. The right gauntlet, cuff and 5 metacarpal lowers appear to be Italian last quarter 16th century. The right vambrace was a left vambrace. The lower cannon is contemporary. Four lower lanes and right pauldron are original last quarter 16th century North Italian. The etching is original last quarter 16th century. The left gautlet is similar to the right with cuff to knuckle being a pair (likely Italian last quarter 16th century). The left arm is modern. The left pauldron, jousting exchange piece and arm defenses are all contemporary. The breastplate is old, the left tasset is old with etching added latter, fauld is old but reworked. The breastplate is at the very end of the 16th century with modern etching (Italian munitions quality). The back plate is original to breast plate (munitions quality, later etching). The inside of both are marked in small red painted letters "ELLIS". The brayette, cuisses, greaves and Gothic style pointed sabatons are modern. With a parade style two handed sword with flamberge style blade. The blade is stamped with a maker's mark of a sword with a crescent moon on either side of the blade and a dot on either side of the grip. The blade is also marked "Le Pense Plus". Has a metal studded wooden grip with cloth wrapping. Sword measures 67 inches long. Mounted on a plain black painted wooden base. Stands 7 feet tall with base.

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The armor is good overall with areas of discoloration, minor pitting, some breakthroughs/small holes, some cracks and some patches of oxidation. The comb of the helmet has three original holes at the top rear. The original etching is visible but slightly faint overall. The contemporary pieces have very sharp etching. The visor has been extensively repaired/reshaped and there is some scattered moderate damage overall. The latching stud on the ventail is absent. The plume holder appears to be a later addition. The gorget is fair.