The Armour Archive

The link below takes you to a nice 3D rotating picture of a late 1500's helm with a bar grill, from the website for the State Hermitage Museum. While late for my tastes as it falls within the very end of the SCA's cutoff of 1600AD, those with armour from that timeframe could use this and not worry about authenticity issues. Text below from their website.

Richard

"The helmet shown here also has a chin-piece and neck-protector (beaver). The helmet was intended for tournaments, specifically the gioco del ponto or “tournament on the bridgeâ€Â

Some other sources I've read said that the sport continued into the 18thC. They are neat helms...

Another good source of examples would be Albrecht Durer's woodcuts, which Dover has a good edition of.

Alcyoneus wrote:Some other sources I've read said that the sport continued into the 18thC. They are neat helms...

Another good source of examples would be Albrecht Durer's woodcuts, which Dover has a good edition of.

I did not realize it lasted that long. Cool. I've seen helms of this type before, including the one in the Hermitage, but this is the first good picture I've seen and the fact you can rotate all around to see the sides and back I thought was handy. It only helps a minority of SCA fighters as most don't have harness from the period this helm goes with, but if it helps only a few, it is better than none. I like the Durer too.

I saw an SCA'er with a similar helm years ago, but it was constructed more like a 15th century bowl from a sallet and it had a weird bevor, a bit different than the Hermitage helm.

Richard

I just looked this up:
http://www.seetuscany.com/culture/pisapon.htm

In the 1500s the Medici family thought to revive the competition, moving it to the bridge in the heart of town, and having the residents of the opposing banks (Tramontana to the north and Mezzogiorno to the south) compete for mastery of the bridge: thus was bornIl Gioco del Ponte. It began with unarmed men trying to push each other off the bridge, and rapidly developed into matches which men in armor tried to push each other off the bridge with poles. All Pisans considered it an honor to compete, and the Gioco del Ponte remained popular until the Queen of Etruria attended in 1807. Her comment, "It's too much too be a game, and not enough to be a war," put an end to the competition.

LOL, sounds like the SCA.

It mentions a revival, but the new rules don't sound like as much fun.

Alcyoneus wrote:I just looked this up:
http://www.seetuscany.com/culture/pisapon.htm

In the 1500s the Medici family thought to revive the competition, moving it to the bridge in the heart of town, and having the residents of the opposing banks (Tramontana to the north and Mezzogiorno to the south) compete for mastery of the bridge: thus was bornIl Gioco del Ponte. It began with unarmed men trying to push each other off the bridge, and rapidly developed into matches which men in armor tried to push each other off the bridge with poles. All Pisans considered it an honor to compete, and the Gioco del Ponte remained popular until the Queen of Etruria attended in 1807. Her comment, "It's too much too be a game, and not enough to be a war," put an end to the competition.

LOL, sounds like the SCA.

It mentions a revival, but the new rules don't sound like as much fun.

Perfect. A real Queen agreeing that it can't be a war if it has too many rules and safety considerations. I love it.

"Its a Grand Tournament, Your Majesty. Can we commence the clubbing?"

See? Actual medieval Royalty agrees with me.

I win.

No contest.

I win.

Sorry V, She was a Modern Queen- they lost too much of their taste for blood by then

Oh crap- you are right. That date ain't medieval. But I don't think it was a matter of bloodlust. Things were ugly in her time.

I love how the bars are smushed on the left side of the grille. Looks real familiar...

Like this one

[img]http://members.cox.net/illusionarmoring/closbar.JPG[/img]

Which is on Illusion Armouring's web-site.

Vitus von Atzinger wrote:Oh crap- you are right. That date ain't medieval. But I don't think it was a matter of bloodlust. Things were ugly in her time.

Yes indeed. Twelve months later She was out of a job and Etruria was just three administrative units in the French Empire.

I prefer this one for some reason.

[img]http://www.eskimo.com/~cwn/photos/ch3_bg_45.jpg[/img]