coif design in the 15th century

[Dierick]

I've been looking for information on the difference of coifs between early and late periods and can't seem to turn up much on the late side.

The early coifs seem to have a wrap around the front of the neck that closes near the temple, giving it a form fitting shape. While this would be ideal for what I am using it for(faux coif over armet cheeks to make a kettlehelm legal), I don't see any early 15th century artwork that shows the very distinctive difference in weave pattern to get this closure.

How were later coifs closed up around the neck? Were they made like a hood with a tightening cord around the neck? I get this from only one image I have that looks like there is a bit of bagginess around the chin/neck.

[chef de chambre]

I've been looking for information on the difference of coifs between early and late periods and can't seem to turn up much on the late side.

The early coifs seem to have a wrap around the front of the neck that closes near the temple, giving it a form fitting shape. While this would be ideal for what I am using it for(faux coif over armet cheeks to make a kettlehelm legal), I don't see any early 15th century artwork that shows the very distinctive difference in weave pattern to get this closure.

How were later coifs closed up around the neck? Were they made like a hood with a tightening cord around the neck? I get this from only one image I have that looks like there is a bit of bagginess around the chin/neck.

Coifs were rare, and not commonly used in the 15th century. None are extant for Euirope with a 15th century dating I am aware of. WHat you may be seeing, is a bevor of mail, of which at least one extant example survives, in the castle nof CHiurburg.

15th century helmet designs, the sallet, deep chapel de fer's, armets, and great bascinets - the first examples beiong worn in conjunction with bevors, the latter entirely encompassing the head, make coifs redundant, and unecessary weight.

Mail standards, either worn with the full helmets, or in conjunction with bevors completely eliminate the need for a coif.

[Dierick]

Among the knightly class, I guess that it was out of use very nearly by the end of the 14th century. A little lower down the cultural food chain though, and I've seen depictions as late as the 30's. They are still in principle, 14th century armours on the verge of transition to kastenbrust and millanese, and some(specifically the b&w image) are probably what you describe as a maille bevor.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/th_7002916.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/th_7002721.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/th_7013986.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/th_7013988-1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/th_7007039.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/th_3000013.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Christoffel/th_7005848.jpg[/img]

[chef de chambre]

There are a few coifs in those images, surely. More of them than not are aventails rather than coifs, and are atasttfched top bascinets.

Basically, almost all those images are first quarter of the 15th century or earlier, and are from either Eastern HRE or Spain, where armour fashion was more conservative, or people kept using older gear more commonly than elsewhere.

I don't think any of those are a mail bevor, which would look precisely like a bevor, but made of mail.

[Dierick]

well, someone care to enlighten me how to design/wear a coif for a man in the 15th century wearing outdated armour from the 14th century?

[chef de chambre]

Later coifs usually have a seam up the back, apparently closed with a thong of leather, and they covered the wearers chin, unlike most modern 'coifs'. This clearly indicates they were lined, and that they were close fitting (were they laced up, you could not pull the coif over your head).

One such coif, I know exists and has been published.

[Mac]

Deirick,
That first image is really "worth the price of admission"! I really love the way the right hand horseman has not bothered to fasten the "mystery strap" of his kettle hat to the buckle of his back defense, in spite of how his tailer has thoughtfully left a slot in the back of his surcoat so the buckle can protrude.


On the subject of coifs; I'm having a lot of trouble telling where coifs leave off and mail gorgets/bevors begin.

The soldiers in the "Christ before Pilate"(pic 2) are pretty clearly wearing coifs.

At the other end of the spectrum are the Angles in the pic with the Virgin in armor, and the armed men in the last pic.(Bringing water to King David?) In both of these images, the artists have shown mail defenses which have the same shape as plate defenses in the same picture.

See how the upper edge of the mail is shown? It looks as though it will just barely cover the ears. It's hard to imagine the mail actually covering enough of the head that it could be called a hood or coif.

It seems to me that if an artist shows two pieces of armor; one is of plate and is surely a bevor, and the other is of mail, and has the same shape, and covers the same anatomical territory, then it too is a bevor.


In the other pictures, I just can't be sure. Perhaps the artist was not even sure.
If these two sorts of neck defense are both used contemporarily; and it's hard to tell one from the other when they are covered by helmets, it's easy to imagine most artists just not worrying about the distinction.

I advise you to go for the bevor. I looks like they were pretty common in 1430. You'll be the first kid on your block to have one in five hundred and eighty years.

Mac

[Dierick]

Much thanks to both of you.

I think for now, with both lack of time and metal, I'm going to go with the coif that laces up the back to cover the bottom of the kettlehelm. I've made the kettlehelm so that the armet cheeks and grill can be unbolted and taken off, so that it can be worn like an actual kettlehelm.

Eventually I will try to make the bevor. I've been assuming that the lower head defense was actually part of a great bascinet, with a kettlehelm worn over it. By chance do you know of any existing originals? I'm a bit at a loss for how it would be constructed, they seem to wrap pretty hell around the head on most. They also all seem to have the hoop gorget, would that be integral with it or would the bevor be worn over/under it?