The Armour Archive

I'm looking for examples of fabric covers on camails/aventails from the second half of the 14th century, as well as quilted/padded liners for same. The most well-known instance of the former is, of course, the 1386 effigy of Walter von Hohenklingen, visible (among other places) here...

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ufarm/hd_ufarm.htm

...and I know there's a padded camail liner shown in the effigy sculpture of one of the Dukes of Burgundy, but I've only seen this reproduced as a drawing and not a photo of the original. If someone has this image and can scan it or provide a link to it, I would appreciate it.

Aside from the two examples above, I have yet to run across any other documentation for fabric covers or "mail-stuffed" quilted camails. I would also appreciate any advice in construction from anyone who's built one of these.

Klaus

After a little Googling, I got this close...

http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/conway/9b45280a.html?ixsid=7QSvJZFTtxi

This site has many photos of the tomb of Phillipe le Hardie, including a tantalizing shot showing the bottom of the helmet and camail being held over the figure's head by two angels. Unfortunately, the inside is in shadow so you can't see the liner details...

Klaus

The effigy of Paolo di Jacobello de la Masegne c. 1394 shows a covered aventail with tippets of mail around the edges similar to the Hohenklingen effigy. Boccia's Mantova

The Effigy of a Baset at Athererington, Devon shows a covered aventail with daging on the borders of the cloth ( the daging extends past the mail which can be sen between the dags) Stothard

Other than the effigy you mentioned above the only lining I've seen illustrated is from a manuscript in the Bodelien library ( I had the ref # but lost it) It's reproduced on the cover of Theory and Practice of War in Europe 300-1500by Helen Nocholson. Down toward the bottom there's a figure whose falling forward on his horse with his aventail flipping up over the back of his head exposing a green lining. ( you need the early hardback edition as the pic's cropped on the paper back)

Cet, thanks again for being an invaluable resource as usual. I see what you mean about the paperback edition of Nicholson. There seems to be a big white blur in the corner that looks like a dandelion puffball obscuring the spot where the fellow's head should be. (I found this on amazon.co.uk, and ran across an image of the hardback cover too small to be useful.)

Klaus

Do you have a copy of Stothard, and if so, would you mind sending me a scan of the Baset image? I found it online, but very blurry. I'm particularly interested in trying to figure out how the cloth cover attaches at the top of the camail- ie, is it sewn to the leather band, fitted over the vervelles, or what- and whether it is attached to the mail in any way at the bottom edge.

Klaus

I've got Stothard but not a scanner ( tells you where my priorities are )

I actually plan on picking up a scanner in the next week or so though so I'll either get someone to scan it for me or do it myself once I'm technologically complete .

As best I can tell it looks like the cloth is attatched underneath the mounting band which goes over the vervells but the pic is small and the drawing bit faint. Hopefully once it's scanned it can be magnified a bit for better detail.

Thanks- I have two non-functioning scanners myself, so I understand. Even a photocopy by snail mail at your leisure would do fine. I'm in the process of accessorizing a Lewis Moore bascinet, and have gotten so far as adding the vervelles and mounting the camail (by Cat) on the leather strap. I'd like to do a cover to help hide the fact that it's butted mail. The lining is still pending, but I can't do anything to the inside of it until I finish the hard armoring: I plan to install a new klappvisor hinge and some of those little triangular deflector plates first.

BTW, is Stothard available in reprint anywhere? If not, what's an original copy go for these days? I shudder to think...

Klaus

Hi Klause,

About a year ago Chris Gilman aka Gaston did a limited run of high quality reprints of Stothard from an original copy that he aquired. I believe he worked in onjunction with John Van hassel from Windrose Armoury on it. In any event I think all the copies were scooped up in short order and I don't know the status of a possible second run. John wouyld probably be the guy to ask as I think he handled the retailing.