Beschreibung:

Bourguignotte et cuirasse de parement à décor repoussé dans le goût milanais très ornemental vers 1570-80, le timbre de la bourguignotte peut-être du dernier quart du XVIe siècle, le reste XIXe siècle. A parade burgonet and cuirass embossed in the highly ornate Milanese fashion of circa 1570- 80, the burgonet skull possibly last quarter of the 16th century, the remaining elements 19th century. The burgonet skull formed of one piece rising to a prominent comb cabled over the top, with up-turned short pointed peak with turned cabled edge and a narrow out turned flange at the base, the sides of the skull embossed in low relief with male and female Captive figures after the Antique fashion, the figures seated on each side within a design of scrolling foliage involving a cornucopia, a serpent, a marine monster and all issuant from a stylised palmette over the peak, the comb embossed with further spirals of scrollwork framing at their centre an oval cartouche of trophiesof- arms involving a bust of Mercury on the left and a bust of Minerva on the right, fitted with later hinged pierced cheek-pieces and matching neck-guard, the latter involving a demon mask in low relief, and the entire scheme of embossed ornamentempanelled and set against a stippled re-gilded ground, the cuirass formed in the German manner, the breast-plate drawn out to a highly prominent keel, fitted with moveable arm-gussets, embossed with a marine monster's mask over the central keel, an espagnolette mask below the neck and with four Romanic half-warriors within spirals of scrolling foliage and cornucopia issuant from the centre and involving small demon masks at the lower sides, fitted with skirt of three moveable lames embossed en suite, all on a contrasting gilt ground, the back-plate decorated to match the breast-plate and involving further demon masks and foliage spiralling on putti terminals, and the entire 19th century ensemble with matching beaded borders embossed in low relief: sold with a purpose-built torso mannequin with costume covering and sculpted head (not illustrated). The figural designs over the sides of the burgonet skull are inspired by the designs of Etienne Delaune A related figural composition is found on the Milanese parade shield of Henri II of France, decorated with the story of Jugurtha, preserved in the Royal Armoury Collection, Turin (F 3). See, di MACCO, Michela, "Rotelle, Brocchieri, Targhe... Scudi da torneo" acquisti e acquisizione per l'armeria di Carlo Alberto, in L'armeria reale di Torino, 1982, pp. 72-85, pl. 1-13. The decoration of the cuirass is closely related to a school of work attributed to the Florentine restorer Gaetano Guidi, known to have made armour in this style for the collector Frederick Stibbert in the 1870's. A comparable example is the embossed and gilt breast-plate made to resemble the work of the famous Picinino family of 16th century Milanese metalworkers, preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum (M.147-1921). See, Fake ? The Art of Deception, edited by Mark Jones, 1990, pp. 204-05, cat. No. 214.