The Armour Archive

According to Osprey:

In about 1250 Matthew Paris depicts a cuffed gauntlet made separately from the sleeve of the mail coat, but such an item was rare until the following century. At this date it appears to have been a form of bag gauntlet of leather with a flaring cuff, or a form reinforced by whalebone or metal plates inside or outside a leather or canvas mitten.

Does anyone have any idea where I could find this depiction online? Or failing that, which of his works was it in? Crinica Majora maybe? Who was wearing it?

I want to build an early gauntlet, late 1200's. This seemed like a good place to start.

I am picturing something mitten-ish, with cuirbouli(sp?) scales or plates. I want to make it hardy enough to fight cross-hilt with no tears being shed. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Bran

It sounds a bit from Laking's book.
You can find a number of the old resources at archive.org

Which Osprey book was this in? The only early gauntlet I've seen was of 7th century ME design.

Christophe de Frisselle wrote:Which Osprey book was this in? The only early gauntlet I've seen was of 7th century ME design.

Warrior series: English Medieval Knight 1200-1300.

losthelm wrote:It sounds a bit from Laking's book.
You can find a number of the old resources at archive.org

I am afraid I don't know what you mean. Could you help me out with a link or further description?

Much appreciated.

Without seeing the illustration which is referenced, it would be easier to presume a glove worn over a bare hand at the end of a mail sleeve without mittens. Gloves and mittens can certainly be documented before armored gauntlets.

Ernst wrote:Without seeing the illustration which is referenced, it would be easier to presume a glove worn over a bare hand at the end of a mail sleeve without mittens. Gloves and mittens can certainly be documented before armored gauntlets.

Well, that is my issue. I really want to see the original artwork to get a feel for what it actually represents.

I have been doing mid-14th century and squeeking by with hourglass half-gaunts & basket hilts. (I am talking SCA legal kit)

I want to ditch the hourglass look and most especially the basket hilts as part of a push to move my kit to the first quarter of the century, and also on some occasions, last quarter 13th century. I wear a mail haubergeon with elbow length sleeves.

So I want to make an early leather gauntlet that is substantial enough to not use a basket hilt with. My soul demands it.