Imposante armure de bataille à bandes décorées à l'eau forte - Lot 197

Imposante armure de bataille à bandes décorées à l'eau forte et dorées, dans le style allemand d'Augsbourg vers 1540-50, homogène et d'exceptionnelle qualité, très vraisemblablement Vienne début du XIXe siècle. An imposing German etched and gilt full armour for the field, in the Augsburg style of circa 1540-50, homogenous and of exceptional quality, most probably Vienna, early 19th century. Constructed in an authentic manner and to bold proportions throughout, comprising close helmet with visor drawn out to a sharply pointed prow, upper-bevor pierced with an arrangement of slotted breathes left and right, lower-bevor formed with a prominent chin, the three parts moving on common pivots, and neck-guard of two articulated plates front and rear, hinged gorget of four lames front and rear, breast-plate of broad construction formed with a strong medial ridge and pronounced roped turns at the neck and at the moveable arm-gussets, skirt of three articulations carrying a pair of short tassets, folding lance-rest, back-plate with waist lame, skirt of one articulated lame and fitted with hinged armoured shoulder-straps, a pair of spaulders correctly asymmetrical for the fighting arm, full arm defences moving on turners and including a pair of large bracelet couters embossed with pairs of volutes and a prominent roped ridge over the point of the elbow, a pair of mitten-gauntlets ornamentally fluted, full leg defences formed of extendable cuisses fitted with articulated poleyns, greaves slotted for spurs, and "bear paw" sabatons with embossed roped toe-caps, the entire armour decorated with a rich design of etched and gilt bands of arabesque strapwork patterns set within gilt foliate borders, the edges turned and roped, the subsidiary edges of the smaller principal lames also decorated with cusped ornament at their centres, and in fine condition throughout: mounted on a purpose-built mannequin, the leathers complete and partly expertly replaced. H.: 182 cm - W.: 24.182 kg. Prov