A gothic harness from the Kienbusch Collection

The Kienbusch Collection belongs to the Philadelphia Museum Of Art in Philadelphia PA, USA

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Photographed in June 1993. An equestrian armour in the German or Milanese style. Very little fluting, the lines are clean and elegant and practical. This is a light armour for war. The Kienbusch collection contains many excellent medieval armours and is well worth a trip to see.

Leg defenses are secured to the bottom of the arming doublet with points. A leather gusset is riveted to the top edge of the upper cuisse plate and holes punched in the upper of the the leather to accept the points. A rear extension is riveted to the outside rear edge of the cuisse and this is strapped on around the leg with a leather and buckle riveted to it. The lower lame of the knee defenses are attached to the greave with leathers and buckles riveted to both. A leather belt and buckle riveted to the inside of the poleyn helps keep the poleyn close to the knee.

Gauntlets are of a mitten style with deep fluting typical of the era. A single plate forward of the knuckle joint suggests individual finger plates were attached to the arming glove. A leather loop is riveted underneath the front middle of the finger plate through which the gloved fingers are placed. There is only a single articulation lame between the hand plate and wrist lame. Deep fluting starting at the wrist, spreads across the back of the hand to eventually mimic the fingers of the gauntlet. The thumb lames are riveted to and ride entirely on leathers.

Latest update March 26th, 2001.

Photos will be replaced with better ones over time. I now have better software for scans.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has its own website at http://www.philamuseum.org/

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All pictures are orginals by the author.

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Page started October 10th, 2000.