Henry II’s shield, French work, c. 1550.

Polished and chiselled iron. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

 

 

Arms

 

Arms are essentially ornamental and can be used to decorate not only sumptuous interiors but also the simplest apartment. But, as we have said more than once, this book, written to assist collectors, does not aim to become a manual of archaeological science. If we invite to the careful study of all which can interest the man of taste, we address most especially the subjects which show perfection as a whole or in details; in a phrase: to objects of art.

The first complete defensive armour, the coat of mail, dates from the Battle of Bouvines (1214) and was in use during the whole reign of Saint Louis. The knight often wore a quilted body-garment of leather or cloth beneath the hauberk. Entirely clad in mail, they covered their heads, in action, with a large cylindrical helmet. This fashion was in use until the 13th century and then underwent successive modifications. Steps were made towards the full suit of armour using steel plates termed plate-armour. In 1415, the mail disappears.

From 1456 through the close of the 15th century, the men-at-arms dismounted and fought on foot, especially in battle; then, armour was symmetrical. However, in 1445, after the formation of artillery companies, soldiers remained mounted on their horses. From this time luxury took possession of military apparel; triumphs, tournaments, and all of the grand ceremonials aroused the emulation. Art must enhance the prestige of a valiant man’s harness; its richness must express his power. Are not those damascened works also worthy of mention in which, by inlaying silver and gold in the iron, manufactories of that material were brought to such a height of perfection as to rival the choicest works of the goldsmith?

Nothing contributes more to the beauty of arms than this work, which brings out broad surfaces of gold and silver on the iron, which is heightened by the patient details of engraving, sometimes minute and delicate enough to rival the finest lace. Here, on a black iron corselet divided into compartments by ingenious arabesques, the bottom is as if it were overrun by a damask of slender foliage, which imparts a greyish tint to the surface from which the figures of Minerva, Mars, and Fame stand out dynamically. There, silver banners in ample folds float above a host of combatants with decorated armour, whose fiery horses, some white inlaid in silver, others yellow with hints of gold, throw touches of colour into the composition and transform it into a real painting.

Upon looking back at the luxury displayed in public ceremonies and performances, should we be surprised about their studied elegance? Jousting armour required no less than that in its intricate refinements, which was inconsistent with its need to be solid and strong for combat. As for shields, we know they ceased to be a part of the defensive armour toward the end of the 15th century, from the moment when the suit itself was closed and became the only defence necessary. The shields were relegated to the hands of the esquires on those ceremonial occasions when the lords appeared in arms; it is easily understood how they came to be viewed as evidence, through their richness, of the rank of those that carried them. Thus, we find at the Galerie d’Apollon the splendid enamelled gold suit of Charles IX, affecting forms now abandoned and transformed into a true masterpiece of the goldsmith’s art in which the chasing and various vitrified works, whether cloisonné or paillons, set off the brilliancy of the steel. The helmets, in regards to art, do not go much farther back than the 16th century. Sometimes the crest itself took the shape of a dragon or lion’s head, and sometimes even that of a man crowned with laurel. In some specimens the regular ornamental design leaves large medallions depicted in bas-relief, religious, mythological, or warlike subjects. These reliefs are generally set off by a gilt background and, occasionally, found in combination with rich damascening.