Rare casque, celata di ferro, et plastron,... - Lot 80 - Pierre Bergé & Associés

Rare casque, celata di ferro, et plastron, petto di corsaletto di ferro, peints assortis aux couleurs de Saint-Étienne de Toscane, pour le jeu du pont, Gioco del Ponte, Pise XVIIe siècle avec typiques transformations du XVIIIe siècle. A rare Italian painted helmet, celata di ferro, and matching breast-plate, petto di corsaletto di ferro, for the Gioco del Ponte, Pisa, 17th century with characteristic 18th century alterations. The helmet with two-piece skull formed with a low flattened comb, the latter reinforced by a group of four transverse rivets spaced over much of its length, fitted with iron plume-holder, a single neck lame on a separate flanged base-plate, pivoted chinpiece with single neck lame and pivoted visor of characteristic barred type closed by hooks on both the left and right sides, breast-plate of munition type with low medial ridge, basal flange, turned roped edges, the lower corners of the arm-openings folded outwards, the shoulders and the basal flange all with a series of 18th century holes lined in lead, the breast-plate incised on the inside with a large T for Tramontana, the helmet interior painted with a large letter T also for Tramontana, together with the letter A and numbered 50, the helmet and the breast-plate each retaining most of their original 18th century painted finish, the helmet decorated with red scrolling foliage over the front and sides and with a Maltese cross of the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen on each side at the rear, the breast-plate en suite, the cross painted large over the centre, and all on a contrasting white painted ground. Helmet H.: 31 - L.: 32 cm - W.: 23.5 cm - Wt.: 3400 g. Breast-plate H.: 38 cm - W.: 35.3 cm - Wt.: 2365 g. The Holy Military Order of The Knights of Saint Stephen, Pope and Martyr (il sacro militare ordine marittimo dei cavalieri di San Stefano) was instituted by Cosimo I de Medici, on October 1st, 1561, and consecrated in Pisa on March 15, 1562, by the nuncio of Pope Pius IV. The goal of