It has been a busy week but here we are again. Building on the last few posts, here is a collection of helm adornments from the mid fifteenth century. As I mentioned earlier, if an image has a listed date span, rather than a single date of creation, I have put it in the collection for the latest date listed. That way, we can be sure it was in existence by that time.
I can see a few different bourelets worn over helms ( all dark red, by the group in the front).
1425-1450 France
Again, a red bourelet is worn over a bascinet.
Also, horse archery! I spent yesterday training to shoot from horse back for the first time and passed the practical component of the authorisation process. We used a free run and an elipitical tunnel to shoot at 6 targets. I managed to hit a couple of targets during a dropped rein walk and trot. The Qabaq draw, behind your head and lying down to aim up while mounted, was a good challenge. Thanks very much to our trainers. The group is off doing mounted games today which I am sad to be missing. Next time, I guess. So, I now have great appreciation for these little men in the illumination who seem to be firing from the front lines.
Gold bourelet. I wonder if this another edition of Boccaccio's Decameron? The faces and town;s folk's clothes look very similiar? I will investigate.
Tiny single leaf or feather from a centre top raised mounting point. I want to call it a mounting bobble.
3 feather plume rising from the centre top of a helm, without a visible mounting point. On an interesting aside, we are having a fascinating discussion about whether I can call this type of helm a conical crowned bascinet or early sallet. This is *Just* what I wanted to be doing on a Sunday morning. I shall compromise and call it a conical crowned bascinet/sallet with early sallet style visor.
3 feather plume rising from the centre top of a helm (similar to the last image of a conical crowned bascinet/sallet, but with double deflection leaves on the side head). Those bells on the rigid lames would make an awful noise. I wonder if his lames fold up so he can actually sit in his saddle? Those saddles are very high front and back, so the lames would need to rise almost up to his waist.
Fleur de lis style plume rising from centre top of a helm with a torse and tail. This sort of tail usually seems to emanate from the mantle, but there is no mantle visible, so it is likely the tail of the torse.
