Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 1).djvu/342

Fig. 312. Sculptured figure, middle XIIIth century, on the exterior of Wells Cathedral

figures with their large heads and shrunken limbs, he was leaving behind him a valuable document destined to interest the antiquary of the present day. We have no doubt that in making these little manikin knights the workman was only following the custom of the painters of mediaeval times, who depicted all their figures, even those of Biblical subjects, in the garments and armaments of their own period. Their neglect of any dress other than that of their contemporaries, has, after the passage of centuries, proved of inestimable value; since the verisimilitude of the costumes depicted can be relied on, if allowance be made for the crude expression of detail. The earliest of the aquamaniles known to the present writer that has a military character is the fine example, formerly in the collection of M. Louis Carrand, and now in the Bargello Museum of Florence (Fig. 313). M. Carrand considered it to be French. In this equestrian statuette the warrior is represented in a suit of chain mail of the so-called banded order, if this detail is to be depended upon, armed with a kite-shaped shield, and a lance or spear. But it is his head-piece which is of interest at the moment. This consists in a large helm such as in battle or the joust formed, with the addition of a steel cap, or, in a slightly later period, of the bascinet, over which it was worn, the chief head defence of the knight. The whole weight of such a helm as this rested entirely on the head and not, as in the case of the later XVth century types of helm, on the shoulders of the wearer. No doubt it was padded or stuffed on the inside to make it fit closely over the under helmet, and to keep it firmly balanced. Later, it was often strapped to the back and breastplate. Roughly, it was barrel shaped, protruding slightly beneath the ocularia. In our opinion the earlier the helm, the closer the breathing slit, or spiraculum, is placed to the centre of the face of the head-piece. Looking at the helm of the Carrand aquamanile, the reader will note that the breathing slit and the vertical reinforcing band running directly down the front of the helmet form in combination a cross botonné; whereas upon those helms which are known to be of rather later date the breathing slit is found placed higher, and, in fact, sufficiently high to be used also as