Spanish heraldic blog

http://heraldistas.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/libro-de-la-cofradia-de-los-caballeros.html

Wow. This blog is written by a Spanish man, Fernando Martinez Larranaga, and is full of great images of crests, barding, trappings and other heraldic items.

The following images were from the post labelled, 'Book of the brotherhood of the Knights of Santiago', also known as 'Libro de los Caballeros de Santiago'. http://www.facsimilefinder.com/export/pdf/446 lists the book as being created in 1388 and completed by 1600. You can order a copy and see previews of this and other manuscripts for sale, here.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_knFY1vuVEo73wB9sKoGlWeCK-254TuJAFPzVg1NkXf8pU1H0pO1HCds-knEBb3sWJnb-riCjqnGDyH__yEfmrDworQ3RGqj3wb41CqWqi2yzMztsQgngLCFE_l5IdMbEXKtwQ2RFBnz/s400/foto12.jpg

A mixed colour feather plume on a horses brow, matching his rider's hat trim. There is also another horse with a more modest feathered plume.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2OUNS_oUcp4rBcUrebVzn9eQz6Q8hxTWGRs6hcflXfnGYmsiveYiV2d6XlfnHeVZ1u6df8bm0oFSgh23uS9VjqcDaDizZtpbmPhyphenhyphen_HvyxVquI3J06XAR1QEUPW5fdzV0m4DtN-275Rsg/s400/FOLIO50-GONZALEZ-LOPEZ.jpg

I think those are bells on the caparison, along the spine.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjo539WEOdkaCGsSuoMjCjqdY1BmdpVy1LfhQ4PFenvvkzHnhpN2oUe462UpjIgcdEWNc7cgxV3VZnzTyN_5MDEu1Qmc9vTZQAzKfLTEdFAc4QLr6KXBVdMGOykUlMyGz3wdhg2aBYEZ4/s400/FOLIO68V-SANCHEZMIRANDA-GARCIATORQU.jpg

It is the feathers I am noticing, here.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HfVIb0ah1EJlr9H9RUPjVqrcjJx7xfaMY0mvoxVm3Nfobfca1shk2rMexadBheR9IGN4mEZwnYin50NI17jJf15hQhqnCnxcXdvYav_V2sUMNrpEQtGk7HbupBrSbkohLiN0nsw1LkC7/s400/foto11.jpg

Helm crests in stock photos

Who would ever have thought a stock photo webpage would have images we could use for this project! In future, I would seriously consider going to a page like this for a new project and having a look for image names and other resources that could be useful.

http://www.superstock.com/stock-photography/Medieval%20Coat%20Of%20Arms

Extant crests on Flickr

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F98015679%40N04%2Fsets%2F72157634696214366%2F&h=wAQFunah3

This guy has heaps of albums that show museums and collections of all sorts of crests, armour, weapons, shields and other medieval objects. I especially like the crest with 2 horns and hanging leafs on a series of branches.

The main album page can be found here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98015679@N04/sets/

Well worth a look.

Leather helm crest: Part 4 leather hardening

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/a/archers_bracer.aspx

This item is made from leather and has been hardened using water, in a technique known as cuir bouilli. I wonder if the wet sand suggested by Cennini can be made to create hardened leather in this way?

Crests in 1380s

1370-1380 France

http://gallica.bnf.fr/RequestDigitalElement?O=IFN-6000434&E=JPEG&Deb=33&Fin=33&Param=D

This knight appears to have a large wooshy hook on his helm. It could be the bottom of a swan, I suppose, but the top doesn't seem to have an animal head.

1370-1380 Italy

http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-08100550&E=JPEG&Deb=13&Fin=13&Param=C

These adornments look like boat anchors? Grappling hooks? The sharp end of some type of weaponry?

1370-1380 Italy

http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-08100550&E=JPEG&Deb=20&Fin=20&Param=C

1370-1380 Italy

http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-08100550&E=JPEG&Deb=25&Fin=25&Param=C

A basket, a wing, flames, a small standard banner, what looks like a blue lumpy hen and a mystery item that looks a bit like a dummy with spikey quillions. I'm sure they are all heraldic charges or symbolic items. There are some really interesting models on helms.

1370-1380 Italy

http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-08100550&E=JPEG&Deb=28&Fin=28&Param=C

Floral wreath

1370-1380 Italy

http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-08100550&E=JPEG&Deb=47&Fin=47&Param=C

Unfortunately it is difficult to see these crests. The only one clear is a pair of wings.

1370-1380 Italy

http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-08100550&E=JPEG&Deb=49&Fin=49&Param=C

1380-1385 Italy

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4317/7107/

Skewered fish, religious infant face with wings, or is it a cherub, double wings in a different position, two gold plain symbols and a ridged protrusion with a hooded face.

1380-1385 Italy

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4317/7109/

A clearer image showing the religious infant with wings.

1389 Germany

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4743/9718/

Crests in 1350s

1350 Italy

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4915/14611/

1350 Italy

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4915/14612/

1353 Germany

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4490/7848/

Helm types

It turns out I have been using all sorts of incorrect names for helms I am seeing in resources. This image comes from Helmets and Body Armor in Modern Warfare, (Dean, Bashford, 1867-1930). It was accessed at this blog, which also has some interesting discussion on the constants in the concept of evolution as applied to both biological and non-living things.
 http://www.lucasbrouwers.nl/blog/2010/10/bashford-dean-bridging-medieval-armor-and-devonian-fish/




I apologise, unreservedly, to any armets that I publicly labelled as bascinets, every later-stage heaume that I slanderously called a frog mouth bascinet, and all unrecognised sallets. I vow to attempt to rectify this injustice and make an concious effort to improve this cause.

Also, why is there not a line from the second evolution of the bascinet up to the beginning of the armets? Is the rear neck guard from the sallet line the only link to the armets? They seem so much closer to bascinets.

I will use this when muddling through labelling helms now.

Crests in 1440s: part 3

All of the following images come from a German book called Parzival. Best that I can decipher, it is a book on Percival and his role in the Arthurian tales.

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/search/?manuscript=4825 1443-1446 Germany

The first section contains all the images of mantles worn on helms.                This last image shows what could be knights using bastons or wide swords.

These two images show people wearing helms with feathered plumes on them. The first one rises from the brow, under the raised visor. The second has feathers coming from the top of the crown. Neither clearly show how the feathers are attached.

  

The final section shows un-armoured people wearing similar adornments on their head wear.

              

Crests in 1440s: part 2

These are some images from the second half of the decade (1445-1449).


http://manuscriptminiatures.com/3932/10785/  1440-1445 France
1. Several men wear tubular bands around their helms. Most have vertical lines. They are very similar to the bourelets worn in contemporary fashion by both men and women in France and the surrounding Low Countries. The bourelet is like a rolled or stuffed tube, usually of bright fabric. I am going to identify this head gear as distinct from the clearly rolled torses.
2. The character in the middle has a small single tailed pennon flying from a small stem that has gold root-like rays snaking down onto the crown of the bascinet.



http://manuscriptminiatures.com/3932/10776/  1440-1445 France
Three men have small pennons attached to the top of the helm. This time, the helms are frog mouth helm, kettle hat and a peak visored grand bascinet. Including the plain bascinet with a chain aventail in the previous image, it because clear that this kind of helm adornment is suitable for a wide range of West European helms in the early 15th C.



http://manuscriptminiatures.com/3932/10784/   1440-1445 France
Thick torse with free tails worn over a helm.



http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4741/13616/   1445 Germany
This helm shows a small, fitted red mantle, as worn by a crowned figure in the next image.



http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4741/13614/    1445 Germany
I love the stylised side views of the crowns. Both crowned men wear short mantles under their crowns. Nice gold lamellar and rosette style helm disc, too.



http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4741/13617/   1445 Germany
Not sure if he has a red plume or his head is spouting feathers of blood due to being hit in the head with a big rock.



http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4741/13594/   1445 Germany
Man in green on the left has a large feather rising from the join between the crown and brim of his helm.



http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4701/12975/  1440-1449 Belgium
Green bourelet worn over helm. Nice purse on the older man's hip.

Crests in 1440s: part 1

These images are of crests from the first half of the decade (1440-1444).


http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-06000542&E=JPEG&Deb=120&Fin=120&Param=C     1440 France
This image shows a protrusion rising from the top of the helms. The spray of something like feathers rises out of the top. One man wears a torse with loose tails around the brow of his helm.


http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-06000542&E=JPEG&Deb=121&Fin=121&Param=C
1440  France
Both the horse and rider in the top image have crests. The man's is attached by at least 2 stems, and could be a representation of the sun (I can't see it clearly). the horses rises from the bridles crown strap, not the brow band. The lower figure has a golden orb on a stem, rising from the top of his helm. Is this a crest in itself, or is it an enlarged version of the protrusion seen in the first image?


http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4716/13042/   1440 Netherlands
A man wears a piece of fabric tied around his conical helm. It could be a loosely tied torse. Notice his sword pocket.


http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4723/13051/  1440 Netherlands
The chap in the gold helm has a spot shaped protrusion from the top of his helm, similar to those in the images above. It seems he has a matching gold articulated gorget. His body armour is interesting as well. The body seems to have covered, layered shaped plates or a corrizana (meaning 'small breastpate') which is like a brigadine with lung shaped plates and lames from the natural, and often small, waist down to the lower hip. You can see the rivet or stitch marks along the upper edge of the back plates. This one is interesting because the peplum is folded, like waves in a fabric skirt. The second fellow, aching in the lower right corner, has a loose torse wrapped around his helm.

Crests in 1420s: Part 2

I hope to collect as many images as possible, so it is then clearer which styles were worn in which decade. There are so many images out there; I wish I could show them all. This batch are nice an colourful.

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/3962/13628/   1425 Germany

Whole body lion model perched on a frog mouthed helm. This one reminds me of our modern family name crest. Also, I want that red, gold and peacock patterned fabric so badly.

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4059/10020/  1427 Switzerland

Wide plume of peacock feathers rising from within a crown on a helm. Another man wears a simple single width wreath of leaves over his slotted kettle helm.

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4059/10030/   1427 Switzerland

Plume of shortened peacock feathers, 3 rows high, rising out of a crown which is worn over red acanthus dagged mantling, all over a bulbous barred helm and kaston brest (boxy breast plate).

The hair style worn by the kneeling lady is still present during until at least 1440. There are examples of the double buns under a net with crossed ribbons on the top of the head in the 15th C French edition of Baccaccio's Decameron. The second, smaller bumps on either side of the top of her head are not shown in Decameron, though. Interestingly, the full sleeves that are gathered into the cuff seem to come back into style in the 1470s and 80s. Maybe that is not a true statement, if looking at adjacent but different countries. One day I will have a good look at sleeves.