Bands on the knees

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Thomas MacFinn
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Bands on the knees

Post by Thomas MacFinn »

I an looking at several effigies from around 1340 and they all show a small pointed knee cop with some type of band under it. Can anyone explain what I am looking at (and possibly show me some reproductions)?

http://1.1.1.4/bmi/www.themcs.org/churc ... 0%2077.jpg
tiredWeasel
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Re: Bands on the knees

Post by tiredWeasel »

Your link isn't loading.
But do you mean this one:
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Thomas MacFinn
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Re: Bands on the knees

Post by Thomas MacFinn »

tiredWeasel wrote:Your link isn't loading.
But do you mean this one:
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Yes
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Jason Grimes
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Re: Bands on the knees

Post by Jason Grimes »

There is a good chance, at least from what I have read, that it's cuirboulli.
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Sean M
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Re: Bands on the knees

Post by Sean M »

Since Blair, the usual assumption has been that the knees are still sewn or riveted to a large leather or textile foundation, which may be separate from the foundation of the cuisses at this point. Until we have a dozen intact poleyns from this period we won't know though. Some of the descriptions of poleyns in Thom Richardson's thesis are worth reading.
DIS MANIBUS GUILLELMI GENTIS MCLEANUM FAMILIARITER GALLERON DICTI
VIR OMNIBUS ARTIBUS PERITUS
Check out Age of Datini: European Material Culture 1360-1410
Kel Rekuta
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Re: Bands on the knees

Post by Kel Rekuta »

As Sean mentioned, Blair made an argument for mounting poleyns over a gamboised cuisse using details from the effigy of Colaccio Beccadelli (http://effigiesandbrasses.com/3806/3362/) and another that I don't recall. Practically speaking, this stays in place pretty well in the rough and tumble of close grappling so it should be fine in other situations.

You might be hard pressed to say the same about a rigidly mounted support of hardened leather strapped over the knee.
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