Encyclopedia of Armor and Their Uses

Items

• Armor
  This armor was assembled and restored under the direction of Dr. Bashford Dean in the 1920s, when it was part of his private collection. It consists of elements mostly from Chalcis, such as those exhibited in the vitrines to the left and right. Dean's intent was to present a full armor of the style worn about 1400, a period from which no complete armors survive. Distinctive features are the early form of brigandine (a torso defense constructed of plates riveted inside a doublet) and the brass borders on the edges of the exposed plates of the other parts of the armor. Portions of the brass at the top edge of the left cuisse (thigh defense), the lower edges of the right greave (lower leg defense), and the visor are genuine; the remainder of the brass is restored. The helmet, a visored bascinet, is not from Chalcis. The velvet covering of the brigandine is a restoration of the early twentieth century.