Rarissime salade de joute courtoise, Rennhut,... - Lot 42 - Pierre Bergé & Associés

Rarissime salade de joute courtoise, Rennhut, Allemagne du Sud vers 1500. An extremely rare South German jousting sallet, Rennhut, circa 1500. The skull finely shaped and formed in one piece, with narrow sight, the lower edge of the sight projecting slightly forward of the upper edge, a medial ridge front and rear developing into a flattened low comb decorated with punched linear borders over the top, the comb retaining a single screw originally intended to hold a spring-catch locking a pair of "exploding" brow plates, with a pair of rivets projecting clear of the surface of the skull fitted on either side behind the sight and intended to engage small lugs at the sides of the brow plates, the skull pierced with a rectangular arrangement of four lace-holes on both side at the rear, a row of holes for lining rivets below an incised line encircling the sides and rear, additional holes for laces and a chin-strap, the lower edges to the rear of the sight with an angular outward turn, the frontal lower edge not turned and pierced for an additional external fitting, and with separate broad neck-guard of characteristic form, pierced with eight pairs of holes for lining rivets or laces, and fitted with later raised flanged border. H.: 30.5 cm - L.: 37.5 cm - W.: 21 cm - Wt.: 3315 g. (See Important Notice p. 53) Provenance: Sotheby's, London, October 14, 1975, lot 222. The main object of the course known as the Rennen was to unhorse the opponent and points were also scored for breaking lances. Armour specifically designed for the differing forms of the Rennen was usually limited to a sallet, heavy bevor attached by bolts to the breast-plate, a heavy skirt with knee-length heavy tassets and a light-weight back-plate. The armour was usually worn without defences for the legs; the left arm was defended by a fixed shield (Renntartsche), and the right arm and hand defended by a large vamplate fitted over the lower portion of the lance. A pair of wing-shaped plates were usually att