Tybalt fights Mercutio. Romeo and Juliet (1968). Both carry a Tudor rapier
“Capulet. What is the noise here? Give me my long sword!
Signora Capulet. Crutch, crutch! Why do you need your sword?
Capulet. A sword, they say! Look, old man Montague
As if in spite of me, he was waving a sword like that. "
(William Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet")
Signora Capulet. Crutch, crutch! Why do you need your sword?
Capulet. A sword, they say! Look, old man Montague
As if in spite of me, he was waving a sword like that. "
(William Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet")
Museum collections of knightly armor and weapons. Today we continue the story about the weapons and armor of the Tudors. But armor today we will consider not English, but for comparison with them ... German. Belonging to Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-1564), which were made for him in 1549 by the famous gunsmith from Nuremberg Kunz Lochner. And we will continue the story about the edged weapons of this time ...
Rapier, approx. 1610-1620 Solingen. The rapier was the main civilian weapon throughout the 120,2th and 104,1th centuries. Designed for fencing with thrusting strokes in progressively complex techniques, the rapier featured a double-edged blade with a sharp end and a complex system of protective arches for the hand. They were decorated with engraving, notching, gilding, inlaid with gold and silver in accordance with the fashion. Materials: steel, silver, copper. Dimensions: length 22,1 cm; blade length 1275,7 cm; crosshair width XNUMX cm; weight XNUMX g. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
And it so happened that by the end of the 1530th century, the sword, which until then was worn mainly with armor, now more and more often began to be combined with a civilian suit, so that it was even called a "costume sword", and after about XNUMX, carrying weapons for nobles in everyday life has already become a must. The reason was that duels began to gain more and more popularity, and the sword had to be constantly carried with you. He had previously been a tool for resolving any disputes, but nobles and people with a position for this put on armor and certainly went out to fight on the lists.
Rapier with blade signed by Juan Martinez (Toledo), c. 1580. Materials: steel, leather, gold, copper wire, wood, velvet. Dimensions: length 123,8 cm; crosshair width 21,6 cm; weight 1507, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
But now everything is different. Fights between gentlemen in ordinary civilian clothes became fashionable. And it turned out that this way of settling differences that have arisen without expensive equipment and unnecessary ceremonies is much more convenient. The sword for such a duel might not be as strong as the "weapon for the field", because it was now used against the enemy devoid of metal armor. And if so, now his blade has become much lighter, but additional guards on the hilt were required to protect the hand.
Rapier with a blade by Johann Bongen (Solingen), approx. 1650-1675 Ephesus Italian, most likely from Naples, a blade from Solingen. Materials: steel, iron, wood. Dimensions: length 120,7 cm; blade length 101,9 cm; crosshair width 29,9 cm; weight 935,5 g. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
This is how the rapier appeared. At an early stage of its development, it represented a long "civilian" sword, in which the sharpened blade was, however, wider than the blade of the "estok". And already in the middle of the XNUMXth century, the word "rapier" began to be understood as a sword intended exclusively for thrusting blows. Instead of chopping down, a popular way to incapacitate the enemy was a lunge. It was this technique that was used by Italian fencing masters, and it was from Italy that the fashion for dueling came to the countries of northern Europe. Well, those who wanted to learn the skill of using a new weapon turned to reading the instructions that came out from under the lively feathers of the Italian fencing masters, who were immediately followed on the heels of their colleagues from Spain.
Parrying dagger with a "flaming blade", 1580–1620. Italy. In the lobe of the blade there is a pattern of holes! Dimensions: length 405 mm; blade length 268 mm; weight 420 g. Royal Arsenal, Leeds
In contrast to the military sword, the "civilian" weapon received a complex hilt, borrowed in England from the continent. Ephesus was made of simple "white" steel, but there were samples with both blackening and gilding. Engraved silver plates were used to decorate the crosshairs. Steel could also be decorated with a chased pattern. In the first half of the 1600th century, twisted decorative elements of protection, as well as metal carving, became popular. The technique of incrustation, including precious stones, first appeared on chased hilts in the middle of the century, and by XNUMX it had become the most widespread method of decoration. Enamel was used periodically.
English parrying dagger. OK. 1600-1620 Made in Germany. Dimensions: length 440 mm; blade length 306 mm; weight 540 g. Royal Arsenal, Leeds
Along with new types of weapons, its masters appeared, and, accordingly, schools. The first such school of fencing was the Italian one. And, for example, a certain Londoner George Silver became a famous fencing master in England in the 1599th century, in XNUMX he published the treatise "Paradoxes of Defense" (Paradoxes of Defense). In it, he wrote that among the Italian fencers there is an opinion that the British do not put their index finger across the cross of the guard and the thumb on the blade, but their hand on the head of the hilt, since the English hilts do not have protective thimbles, and if so, then they (the British ) cannot make a direct attack. And, probably, they can really only bend the index finger on the crosshair when they use a weapon with an Italian hilt. That is, the battle within the framework of the Italian school took place like this: the fencers stood up against each other and with their right hand struck with a rapier, and with their left they took a blow either on the forearm wrapped in a cloak, or parried it with a special dagger.
View of the hilt and guard of the parrying dagger from the inside. Spain, 1640 Dimensions: length 580 mm; blade length 472 mm; weight 510 g. Royal Arsenal, Leeds
During the reign of Henry VIII, daggers in the Swiss style of Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543), who was his court painter and lived in London, became especially popular. Ephesus had the shape of the letter "H" made of cast metal and an intricate interlacing pattern on the scabbard. This was the era of the Renaissance, in this case the Northern Renaissance. Therefore, antique figures and ornaments were in fashion. The scabbards of Holbein's daggers were very richly decorated with embossed and carved images. Although, technically, it was still the same medieval evolved baselard. And at that time no one called such daggers by the name of the artist. This fame came to him already in the XNUMXth century.
Ambassadors (French Ambassador to London Jean de Denteville and French Ambassador to Venice, Bishop Georges de Selves). Hans Holbein Jr. 1533 London National Gallery
The hand of one of the ambassadors, gripping the "Holbein's dagger". Close-up
Holbein's dagger sheath. Vorbilder für Fabrikanten und Handwerker, 1836, Vol. 2, Abtheilung II, Bl. 23. Well, Holbein loved "death scenes", which is really there. Although the time was like that. Every second woman died during the first childbirth, and images of corpses devoured by worms were very popular among artists and sculptors, as were skulls and skeletons!
Then, around 1550, Scottish daggers became widespread. It has become fashionable again to order headsets: a sword and a dagger in the same style. Moreover, the dagger could have a very simple guard with a crosshair and a ring, or, already in the second half of the 1560th century, a guard with a shield on the outside. The daggers were worn in a scabbard on the side on the right, attaching the scabbard to a waist belt with two staples on their metal mouth. After about XNUMX, the dagger was worn closer to the back. It was fashionable at the mouth of the scabbard on each side to have a ring through which a cord with tassels was passed - “Venetian silk tassel”. The cords were both silver and gold, black and gold, and crimson silk with tassels of the appropriate colors. They were decorated with chains, ribbons and even large bows. Also, some scabbards had containers for a knife and an awl.
Armor of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-1564). Height 170,2 cm; weight 24 kg. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Today we will get acquainted with the armor of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-1564). Dated to 1549. Master Kunz Lochner from Nuremberg. Ferdinand I's ownership of this armor is indicated by heraldic emblems on the socks of the Sabatons: an imperial double-headed eagle crowned with a crown, emphasizing Ferdinand's status. The image of the Virgin with the baby on the breastplate was also used on his armor by his older brother, Emperor Charles V. In addition, the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, an elite knightly society of which Ferdinand was a member, can be seen on the armor. It is also on display at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, it was made at about the same time as the armor of Henry XIII, so this is a very good object for comparing the two schools - German and Greenwich.
Rear view
The cuirass is decorated in front with a beautiful engraved image of the Madonna and Child
The back of the cuirass with the image of two apostles - Paul with a sword and Peter with a key, crossed "wild staves" and tongues of flame is no less interesting.
The lance hook is more complex in design than on the armor of Henry VIII of the Greenwich Workshop. By the way, the master Kunz Lochner, who made this armor, was the most famous gunsmith of Nuremberg at that time. He also made several pieces of armor for both Ferdinand and his son, Archduke Maximilian (1527-1576), including two identical pieces of armor around 1546 that are very similar to the pattern shown here.
As always, the new weapon in England had supporters and opponents who stood up for the "good English sword". In 1591 Sir John Smythe wrote the Instructions. Observations and Orders Mylitarie, which went out of print four years later. And so he wrote that the rapier is too long for an infantryman in the cramped battle, that it is difficult to grab it in real conditions, and it is completely impossible for a horseman, because for this he will have to throw the reins! That is, it is not suitable for war. It will also break when hitting the armor. Although, on the other hand, he noted the successful use of "estoks", or "such", which had quadrangular blades, by horsemen. That is, with the desire and training, it was always possible to achieve the desired result. It's just that people are very traditional creatures and do not like to retrain.
The elbow pad is designed so that even a rapier does not hit the joint between the "pipes" of the forearm and shoulder in any way!
For some reason, almost the main motive of the decor was the image of a centaur! By the way, the engraving drawings are attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger, who lived in London at that time, but periodically traveled to the continent.
George Silver, by the way, also disliked rapiers and called them "bird skewers." In his opinion, they were only good for piercing the Corcelles (brinandina), for cutting off the strings and buckles of the helmet from the straps of the armor. For a chopping blow, in his opinion, they are too long and have the wrong hilt. However, despite all these scriptures, the rapier became an increasingly fashionable weapon, and with civilian clothing it was worn more and more often. And if so, teachers were needed to train foil fencers. So fencing schools appeared in England, which were opened first by Italians, and then by the most talented and successful of their own students.
The sock of the Sabatons. A kind of "passport" of the owner of the armor!
The "sword and a half hands" or "sword-bastard" in England was still in use, but the rapier supplanted it in the most active way. The intimidating two-handed swords of the infantry, with which it could hack through the ranks of pikemen, were also used, but increasingly for ceremonial purposes. In the continental armies, they were much more in demand than in the British.
Embossed shoulder pads ...
And this is besagyu - plates that should cover the armpits when a warrior in such armor raised his hand up
Plate gloves are exceptionally perfect. They can hold not only a sword, but also a wheeled pistol!
Such "adaptations" for the genitals were characteristic just for the armor of this time
The rider's war hammer or "raven beak" was now supplied with a metal shaft so that it could not be chopped off, and the butt of the hammer received another diamond-shaped cut. Six-pins were used, but rarely. There are rich designs adorned with silver or gold notching on blued or reddish-brown colored metal surfaces. But they were not the mass weapons of the Tudor-era English cavalry.
Horseman's Warhammer, c. 1450 France. Dimensions: length 65,5 cm; weight 1474,2 g. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Warriors of two detachments of the royal guard: "Gentlemen at Arms" and the Yeomen Guard stood on guard during state celebrations, armed with berdysh and protazans. But we will tell you about this weapon separately ...
To be continued ...