Pair of Cuisses 1540
A pair. Consisting of a one piece cuisse shaped to the thigh with central crease and bold inward turned roped roll at the top. Poleyn of 4 plates, the cop deeply dished with a large wing on the outside, wing with inward turned roped rolled edge. One small articulating lame above and below the cop and a terminal plate with an inward turned roped roll on the bottom edge. Some old repairs - one cop has a patched hole and one has the wing re-attached. A nice example of a plain armour of the mid 16th century. In uncleaned condition from an English household identified as "Property of a Nobleman". Later research indicates that this household is Helmingham Hall in Suffolk. Similar in many ways to the right cuisse that survives in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen inventoried as #139 in ARMS , ARMOUR IN THE COLLECTION OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN - inventory number RCIN 72868 and identified as probably Flemish 1540. Painted internally in red paint with the numbers 24 and 25. The one marked 24 also is also marked in red paint with a struck through 5. These represent the inventory numbers for these items in the 1920 inventory of the armor compiled by John Seymour Lucas in Oct. 1920. In that inventory he identifies them as dating from 1510. The inventory explicitly states to ignore any struck through numbers in red paint.
Weight (left): 1 pound 14.6 ounces (860g).
Measurements: 15 in. tall overall (measured on the left cuisse, straight). Left cuisse thickness .029-.050 in. Most common measurements .032-.038. Lower small lame .024-.041 generally .032. Terminal lame .031-.039. Cop .036-.062, wing .036-.052. upper lame app. .030.
If you have any questions, please send them to Wade Allen
This site last updated Mon Nov 25 20:20:19 EST 2024