This set of Gothic armor is currently held at the Royal Armoury in England. It was acquired piecemeal over the course of about a century, from a variety of collectors and historians. Gothic armor is considered the pinnacle of medieval plate armor, with its relatively light construction, free range of motion, and incredibly thorough coverage of a warrior's body. This particular armor comes from the latter half of the 15th century, at the height of armor in Europe shortly before the widespread use of firearms would go on to make such heavy armor obsolete. This set was made in Hapsburg Austria. Notice the sallet-style helmet, which provided very little room for injury, but also very little visibility for the man within the armor. In the right hand of the set is a flanged mace, a common implement for smashing through similarly powerful armor at the time. Swords were almost completely incapable of piercing such thick armor, and so blunt instruments like maces and war hammers were used in their stead.
This armor is a beautiful piece, with stunning accents across it and a clear attention to detail in its construction. Such armor is a hallmark of the late medieval period, on which I have not devoted as much space on this website. Powerful and iconic in its construction, this set of Gothic armor is something I simply couldn't leave out once I saw it. "Gothic armour - Gothic armour Composite armour, made up of sallet (IV.15), bevor (III.1300, to be checked), breastplate (III.69), backplate (III.70), and other pieces." Royal Armouries collections. Accessed June 25, 2017. https://collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-1293.html. This sword is from roughly 1290-1350 AD, currently housed in the Royal Armouries in Leeds, acquired from a private collection in the 1980s. This is a simple weapon, with no intricacies to speak of other than those required when forging a sword. It is a typical hand-and-a-half sword, also known as a bastard sword. It shares many similarities with the longsword of about a century later, which was used extensively by the nobility of the Italian and German states. This particular piece is English, and is believed to have seen use in the Hundred Years' War. Such a weapon was likely wielded in two hands, as it has quite a long grip compared to a typical one-handed arming sword. Its large cross-guard also suggests that it is meant to be used without a shield, as catching enemy blades with such a large guard would be much simpler than with that of a smaller sword. It weighs two pounds and nine ounces, though this weight is likely significantly lesser than the original due to heavy corrosion. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that many such swords were considerably lighter than modern perceptions my hold.
I chose this sword because it exemplifies an interesting early example of the very common longsword, an immensely popular weapon that I briefly touched upon in both the Fiore dei Liberi and Saebo Sword exhibits. The longsword is currently a popular weapon in medieval martial arts fencing, known as Historical European Martial Arts; this is because of the wealth of manuscripts and manuals covering its use as a fencing weapon. "Sword Hand-and-a-half sword." Royal Armouries collections. Accessed June 25, 2017. https://collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-180.html. This is an early medieval spear head currently in the possession of the Royal Armouries in Leeds, England. It is from roughly 700-900 AD, and appears to be from Scandinavia, likely used by Viking raiders. Spears have historically been used as the weapons of the average foot soldier, far-removed from the noble knight astride an armored horse. Spears were incredibly common Viking weapons, as they were useful both in close combat and at range, where they could be thrown; swords were often used as a sidearm.
I included this spear head in order to have a greater variety in early medieval weapons in my exhibit. Spears were an essential weapon throughout the medieval period, from this simple Viking spear to intricate polearms such as halberds, partizans, and pikes. "Spear head, Viking." Royal Armouries collections. Accessed June 25, 2017. https://collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-14631.html. This is an early German firearm called a "handgun," "handgonne," or "hand cannon." It had a cumbersome and difficult loading mechanism not unlike that of a musket or arquebus, and could take up to a minute to load and fire. Unlike the musket, hand cannons did not have a trigger mechanism, and thus used a manual firing system via a small hole in the gun. The first of these weapons were used in China as early as the 13th century before migrating to Europe in the 14th century; this specimen is from around the year 1400. Notable about this piece is the ornateness of its construction, which would necessitate a wealthy benefactor to order it. These weapons were exceptionally expensive at the time, and this piece, with its two decorative Gothic faces and multi-layered design, would have been commissioned by someone particularly wealthy. It is currently housed in the British Royal Armoury in London.
Early firearms are fascinating to me, and this specimen is about as early as they come. A representation of the cutting edge of medieval technology seemed fitting to include in this project, even just as a single piece. This firearm is also interesting to look at, with the ominous faces seeming to stare up at its user. "Handgun." Royal Armouries collections. Accessed June 16, 2017. https://collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-62215.html. This mail coif was used during the 100 Years' War, likely for the English as it appears to have been in the hands of the British Royal Armoury for quite a long time--their acquisition lists it as "Possibly Old Tower Collection", indicating an uncertainty as to how they acquired the item in the first place. Its likely use was as armor for the legendary English longbowman, who fought in the 100 Years' War in huge numbers against the French. Their most famous clash was the Battle of Agincourt, in which the English longbow was used to great effect against the cumbersome armor of French knights, who were slowed down by muddy terrain as the English dug into a defensive position. It was a massive victory for the beleaguered English force and a major blow for the French that would determine the course of the war until the rise of Saint Joan of Arc allowed the French to claim the final victory.
Mail armor was common for yeoman (or commoner) soldiers during this period. It offered good protection against slashing and bludgeoning attacks, but was slightly weaker to puncture wounds. Mail coifs were often worn under helmets and over brigandines, which was a form of heavy padded cloth. This piece of armor was chosen to represent mail armor, which was incredibly common from Roman times all the way through the medieval period in various forms. Mail armor has been one of the most ubiquitous armor types in history and represented in media very often, especially in video games and roleplaying games. "Mail coif." Royal Armouries collections. Accessed June 16, 2017. https://collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-21304.html. This weapon is a late 14th century sword that may be Italian in origin. Although its true origin is unclear, its earliest record is from an Italian private collection; as a result, that is the clearest indication of its point of creation. It is an Oakeshott Type XIX blade, a very common late-period blade that was light and effective against armor, with a thin blade that could either puncture the thick plate armor of the period or maneuver into small exposed areas. This weapon has an exceedingly simple hilt compared to other Type XIX blades, which often had elaborate guards. This sword's guard is much simpler, which suggests that it was possibly owned by someone of lower social caste, as simpler hilts would be significantly cheaper to produce. On the blade is a small inscription: an eight-sided star or sun followed by a P. It is unknown what this insignia means, but is likely the sigil of the sword's producer.
This is another good example of a medieval arming sword. It is exceedingly well-preserved and was built for combat, and has a few slight deviations from other swords of the era, including its slightly archaic hilt design and the unknown meaning of the insignia on the blade. It is also a good introduction to the Oakeshott Typology of swords, which categorizes sword blades by a variety of factors, including length, cross-section, and blade shape. Goranov, Alexi. "Oakeshott Type XIX Swords." MyArmoury.com. Accessed June 16, 2017. https://myarmoury.com/feature_spotxix.html. "Sword Oakeshott type sword." Royal Armouries collections. Accessed June 16, 2017. https://collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-20076.html. This is Joyeuse, legendary blade of Charlemagne, forged by the famous blacksmith Galas over the course of three years and carried into countless battles by Charlemagne himself. Well, that is the legend, at least. Of course, it is impossible to confirm whether Charlemagne was even alive when Joyeuse was forged, but the sword was used for centuries in the coronation of French kings. It now resides in the Louvre in Paris. While it is difficult to genuinely place the sword, Joyeuse can be first historically identified at the coronation of Philip the Bold in 1270, and was used for centuries after until the deposition of the monarchy in the 19th century. This sword has been included primarily for my own satisfaction--I'm fascinated with legendary swords and Charlemagne is one of my favorite historical figures. French history is also particularly interesting to me, so a legendary French sword is that much more appealing. Hill, Bryan. "Joyeuse: The Legendary Sword of Charlemagne." Ancient Origins. Accessed June 10, 2017. http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/joyeuse-legendary-sword-charlemagne-003020. The maker of this helm is unknown, but it was found in 2008 in Moravia, the Czech Republic, by a team of archaeologists excavating Dalečín Castle. The article does not list its current location, but it can be assumed that the piece is remaining in either the Czech Republic or Poland, where the journal was written. It has been dated to the first two decades of the 14th century, roughly 1310, as it is a late example of the great helm. Great helms are a recognizable symbol of the Crusades, but were used all across Europe for centuries before they were replaced by more versatile helmets like the bascinet and the armet, which were lighter and allowed for greater vision and comfort.
This piece is an excellent find for this exhibit. Not only is it a recent acquisition, but it is also a High Medieval example of an iconic piece of armor. A mid-period artifact rounds out this collection, as does a piece of armor. The great helm is also instantly recognizable, and as a result makes for a more interesting addition for people less versed in the history of arms and armor. This is a page from Fiore dei Liberi's Fior di Battaglia, a manuscript for teaching fencing to aspiring swordsmen. This particular page concerns footwork, posture, and stances. The current manuscript currently resides in a private collection in Venice, though it was once believed lost following WWII and the Allied invasion of Italy. The manuscript was written 1409 after six months of work, something that dei Liberi apparently took pride in.
The purpose of this piece in my exhibit is twofold: one, to provide a degree of variety between historical weapons and armor pieces; and two, to demonstrate the importance of swordplay in medieval society and the amount of effort and dedication that went into perfecting the art of swordsmanship. Easton, Matt. "Fiore dei Liberi." Schola Gladiatoria. Accessed June 10, 2017. http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/fiore/. |