‡ A FINE COMPOSITE FLEMISH THREE-QUARTER CUIRASSIER ARMOUR, CIRCA 1600-20 comprising close helmet with two-piece skull rising to a ring finial with large star-shaped washer, fitted at the nape with a plume-holder and embossed with a radiating pattern of V-shaped flutes decorated at their crests with pairs of incised lines, peak, visor and bevor attached by common pivots, the peak projecting forward to an obtuse point, visor embossed with a pronounced transverse-rib pierced with four diagonal slots and a panel beneath them at each side with numerous circular holes, secured at the right by a hook and a pierced stud, bevor shaped to the chin and secured by a later strap and buckle, three gorget plates front and rear (visor with an early repair at the left lower edge); collar of one plate front and rear (with large repaired lamination at the front right); medially ridged one-piece heavy breastplate of late peascod fashion, struck on the right with the proof mark of a bullet, fitted with later swivel-hooks and pierced studs for attaching shoulder-straps, flanged outwards at its lower edge to receive a pair of tassets each of seventeen lames and divisible at the eleventh (the lower lames with areas of pitting, extensive pitting on the tenth, eleventh and twelfth of the left tasset, the top lame of the right cracked around its key-hole slot); poleyns of six lames, the third in each case embossed with a central rosette and formed with a pointed spade-shaped wing; matching backplate (fitted with an early extension at each side formed of a riveted plate, corresponding with two similar areas on the breastplate), shoulder-straps with pierced terminals for attaching to the breastplate (restored, some scales perhaps early) and later belt, flanged outwards at the base and fitted with an associated hinged bracket (rivet replaced) to attach a culet of five lames (some with patched repairs), symmetrical pauldrons of eleven lames connected by turners to articulated vambraces each formed of tubular upper and lower cannons linked by an intervening winged bracelet couter of five lames embossed with a central rosette, a pair of fingered gauntlets, each with a flared and pointed cuff, five metacarpal-plates, a knuckle-plate, hinged thumb-piece and finger scales (restorations, one lame on the right gauntlet cracked in two, left gauntlet with a small chip), the main edges of the armour scalloped and accompanied by pairs of incised lines, studded throughout with numerous copper-alloy rivets (replaced), and retaining some early blued finish (small areas of light pitting, expertly releathered); all on a wooden stand Provenance Sir Guy Francis Laking, 2nd Baronet (1875-1919) Important Specimens of Arms and Armor…..from XII to XVII Century, American Art Association, New York, 24th November 1923, lot 254 ($400) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Christie’s London, 23rd November 1960, lot 171 (£280 to Robinson) The present armour is closely related to a distinctive group of high quality Flemish armours now mainly preserved in the Real Armeria, Madrid (A 380-401 & 414-21), which can in some instances be identified as the work of the 'Master MP', purchased for Philip IV of Spain in Brussels in 1624 and 1625. See Karcheski 1985, pp.307-14. He records helmets similar to the present example in the Musée de l'Armée, Paris (H. 150), the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg (Z.O.3288), the Livrustkammaren, Stockholm (2635), the Art Institute, Chicago (2661), and the Smith Art Museum, Springfield, Massachusetts (17.23.9). Another helmet from this group was sold in this room 5th December 2005, lot 114.