through years to evolve from practical experience a perfect defence, by placing reinforcements on this exposed limb or that vulnerable spot and by piling one defensive garment on another, until the time came when the lighter and more effective full plate armour took the place of the cumbersome harness of patchwork.
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Fig. 181. Ailettes in the correct position
From an aquamanile, middle of XIVth century
Collection: the late Signor Ressman, Bargello, Florence
A brass in Gorleston Church, Suffolk, supposed to represent one of the Bacon family, about 1320 (Fig. 179), illustrates most clearly that which we wish to convey respecting the appearance of the knight of this period. The warrior is habited in a coif of mail, which we should imagine from its hemispherical form is placed on a steel cap, and a hauberk reaching nearly to the knee. Circular plates or palettes guard the inside of the arms at the elbow and at the vif de l'harnois, or exposed part near the arm-pits, while coudes or elbow-cops are visible in their earliest form: half or shell rerebraces and vambraces protect the exterior of the upper part of the arm and the forearm, while greaves and genouillères are also worn, of which latter the working is somewhat difficult to understand, for they completely encircle the knees, back and front. Over the armour is the loosely fitting long surcoat gathered in at the waist by a narrow strap; beneath the hauberk can be seen the gamboised hacketon; while the sword belt hangs loosely round the waist. On this brass we have a representation of the ailettes, those extraordinary additional protective plates standing high on the shoulders, which came into use about 1275, but fell out of fashion again in about 1325, after which date they were rarely seen. In this brass they are rectangular and of large proportions, and are shown, as on all the brasses on which they appear, as though lying flat against the shoulder blades, probably for the reason that the artist was unable to draw them effectively in perspective. Placed as shown on the brasses they could form no protection, but it is certain that their correct position was on the shoulder, and profile with the face so as to form a defence against a horizontal blow at the neck. For proof of this we have but to look at their position on the figure of a knight from an aquamanile in the collection of the late Signor Ressman in the Bargello, Florence (Fig. 181). They were either fastened to the top of the arm, or possibly sometimes to a leather thong passing round the
