A Pair Of 'Alla Tadesca' Pauldrons

A Previously Unrecorded Pair Of Gothic Pauldrons, Circa 1490.
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ID: 210
A previously unrecorded pair of gothic 'Alla Tadesca' pauldrons with besegews by Milanese Master Armourer Francesco de Cattenai (1478-1494). These are believed to be the only known existing work of this armourer. 

These pauldrons both consist of a large central plate, with characteristic 'Gothic' sprays of five flutes forming a 'bat wing' over the rear of the shoulder. Above the main plate are two lames articulated by sliding rivets front and rear. Below the main plate are three smaller lames, articulated on central sliding rivets, and internal leathers front and rear. These lower lames are shaped to fit over the upper vambraces. All plates (except the uppermost and lowest) are cusped. The uppermost and lowest lames have rectangular outward-turned edges. All plates except the uppermost lame have an angled 'keel' running down their centre (ie on the outside of each shoulder). A slightly octagonal besagew, forged with eight radiating ridges, is solidly riveted to the front of the main plate of each pauldron. The besagews are decorated with punched decoration. All rivets are brass-capped, and the rivets securing the besagews have larger brass-capped heads, beneath which are decorative floret brass washers.

The pauldrons are slightly asymmetrical, with the right shaped to accomodate the couched lance. They were attached to the arming doublet at the shoulders by points tied through pairs of holes punched close to the upper turned edges of the uppermost lames, and secured around the vambraces by straps and buckles. The rivets attaching the straps and buckles have decorative floret brass washers beneath their heads. 

Each pauldron is struck with three marks at the rear of the main plate, above the fluted decoration, near the rear lateral edge. 

There are a series of marks that appear to be blows from edged weapons, and strikes from missiles. The left besagew bears an elliptical mark consistent with a thrust from the tip of a sword, or possibly halberd (right side, just below the central ridge) and a cut to the left edge from a glancing blow from an edged weapon (below the left central ridge). There are also small marks in the lower left section of the besagew, which may be strikes from arrows or crossbow bolts. The right pauldron bears two cuts on the left side of the besagew (above and below the central left ridge), and also a clear cut made by a sword, toward sthe rear of the lame immediately below the main plate, and the lowest lame has a small square hole punched into it, which appears to be an arrow strike. 

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