Its called anime, and no this is not those japanese cartoons, it is supposed to be a european armour around 16th-17th century, usually a cuirass with multiple lames based along sliding rivits. I have found 3 in various books and websites, I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of, pictures of, or knows of anyone who makes it?

IF it helps, I think it might be northern italian in origin.

Thanks

bump

Can help out with the pictures, pretty sure this is what your looking for.
http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/photo/4297.html
http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/photo/4293.html
http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/photo/4290.html
http://sl-armours.com/patterns/MI10067d11a.jpg
http://sl-armours.com/patterns/radz38.jpg
http://sl-armours.com/patterns/bkg45.jpg

Thats all the examples I've ever found.

Michael,

Many countries made animæ armours. If you have a look at Graz in Austria you find many animæ cuirass' there. Poland and the eastern countries seem to have a liking for this sort of cuirass too. I had not though about it before, but you are possibly correct about these being Italian in origin. The Negroli made some fine decorated armours with this type of cuirass in the 1530's. There are of course also German examples and at least two made in the Royal workshops at Greenwich in the 1550's. One of these is an absolutely beautiful example, made for a boy, possibly Edward VI. The other one is in Glasgow, made for William Herbert 1st Earl of Pembroke in about 1550. Later in the 16th century, many countries began to have movable lames further down the breastplate towards the waist, but full animæ breastplates are relatively rare.
As regards armourers who make them, I do not recall having seen any, but I am sure it is just a question of asking. I haven't made one for about twenty years, but it would be fun to make again. If you cannot find anyone to make one for you, let me know, and we will what we can do. :)

Regards,

Russ

There are some who think that the anime derived the impetus for its development from the 'all' antica' movement, and was the plate maker's best guess as to how to make a 'lorica laminata' (used to be called 'lorica segmentata'). If true, it only makes sense that it would originate in Italy. I think the 'hussar' style of laminated defense might have had its origins separately, though, possibly being a development of Central Europe's take on 'gothic' armour.

Wow!!!, those are beautiful pictures!!! I don't know if I'm the only one but I find anime to be beautiful. The sheer amount of perfection in making it is extraordinary. especially the fourth link down, that was wonderful. Does anyone know how resilent it would be? Like compared to a solid, plain rounded cuirass of the italian fashion.

Thank you all for you informaiton.

Hmm...now that this subject is up again, I can't help giving air to a thought I've been having all this time. Many of the anime breatsplates look like they're imitiating the scalloped tops of lamellar scales rather than the straighter lines of ancient Roman segmnted armor, so could they have been imitiations of Byzantine instead of Roman models?

Kenneth,

The last but one is interesting:

http://sl-armours.com/patterns/radz38.jpg

The helmet looks to be either Augsburg or Innsbruck work. Do you possibly have any other details of this piece please. All of this armour is interesting, but to me , the gauntlet is particularly so, though I am certain that it does not belong to the rest of the harness.

The last armour that you show is the harness once known as that of Anne de Montmorency, Constable of France, but now thought to have belonged to King Henry VIII. French or Italian, ca. 1544. I do not know on what evidence it is said to have belonged to Henry, apart from its similarity to an entry in the inventory of the late Kings effects in 1547. The evidence for it's having been Henry's seems somewhat scant.

Any details of the first of these animæ armours would be appreciated. :)

Regards,

Russ