Information on late 16th century chest-piece? -- myArmoury.com

Henrik Granlid

According to the site, it is a "German plate armour in polished steel from second half of 16th century. On the breast plate is the name of the knight to whom it belonged, Adam Gall who died in 1574. From Imperial Arsenal Of Vienna."
http://www.bible-history.com/ibh/Weapons+and+...shed+Steel

Are there any more examples of such armour around?
How is it constructed? Are we talking metal-bands joining on both sides with hinges and/or straps? Or is it more akin to a Lorica Segmentata but only laced at the back?

What protection would be worn for the forearms and elbows?
What leg-protection is used? Seeing as this one does not have very long tassets, are there any contemporary pieces of thigh-protection that aren't tassets that would've been used here?

EDIT:
Seems to be Anima armour, more common in eastern europe than in western, but not unique.
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=17839
This thread links, amongst others, this beautiful italian piece of it.

Not only does it show the arms, but also the legs, elbows and general look.

I DO however still wonder how on earth you get INTO the anima armour, where the opening and closing joints are situated etc.

Raman A · Posted: Fri 23 Aug, 2013 3:27 pm Post subject:

Hello, reading your post I recalled that one of Henry VIII's many harnesses was in this style. I'm not particularly familiar with it but it's in the Met so there are plenty of pictures around.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thoog/543969132/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thoog/1218630839/

Looks like it buckles at the side. I believe the plates themselves are internally riveted to strips of leather, same way faulds are typically constructed.

Tom King · Posted: Fri 23 Aug, 2013 7:47 pm Post subject:

The point of the Anime style armor, at least from what i've read, is that it was easier to uniformly temper smaller pieces of metal during the 17th century. An anime cuirasse could be made stronger (and as a result more bullet resistant) out of the same thickness of material. Other than that, they were like normal breastplates, only made up of smaller pieces riveted to each other with no supporting liner to make the entire form.

The Greenwich armory made quite a few suits with anima chest defenses, usually (in surviving full kits) with an extra bolt on chest defense of one piece of metal to go over them for late period cavalry actions where powerful man portable long arms were used that could punch through lesser defenses. They are also common in italian suits, as well as "hussar armor" and a few eastern styles