The effigy of Kuno von Falkenstein in Kirchzarten Church, Germany; depicts the man in question with what appears to be a pointed fauld remarkably similar to the one in the Pistoia Altarpiece. 1343 seems to early for any fauld at all as far as I know, but I haven't yet seen a pointed fauld depicted in any German Artwork; so it seems unlikely to be an overzealous restoration. I am truly at a loss and if anyone can give me feedback of any kind please do so. http://effigiesandbrasses.com/monuments/kuno_.../original/

The dating might be based on death of the knight, while the effigy might have been erected later. Everything else looks good for a c.1350 dating though, and with those knee-length surcoats in vogue, who can say what's under them?

Exactly what I thought, but he wears no schynbalds and his cops are more rondels than the typical flared soupcan of the period; which makes me almost skeptical that it was a stylization. On the other hand the supposition he was wearing a breastplate with a pointed fauld in Germany in 1343 when the first depiction I know of is in France and from the mid 1380's seems almost fantastical.

I doubt there is anything wrong with being 1340s but not usre it is faulds as we usually think. Likely some type of pair of plates. I am more and more convinced they did just about everything with them. I would not be surprised if we found one with a can and bottle opener..... OK I might be :). It would be a very early fauld though. The Pistoia Alterpiece is the earliest I know of at c. 1367-76.

Some c. 150s effigies still have no greaves and such but you are right it is becoming far less common for this. The Empire seems to hold onto this for sometime though.

RPM

When looking at the upper part of the effigy, the top of what appears to be a coat of plates is visible underneath the surcoat. It may be a stylized coat of plates with the horizontal ridges attempting to show that he is wearing a COP. Our knowledge of the Pistola breastplate with its shrinking front fauld might be coloring our interpretation, considering that no other part of the effigy suggests that he is wearing a breastplate under his surcoat.

While I am almost certain he is wearing a pair of plates, I spy no rivets on the fauld, which is somewhat troubling. But I see only mail with a stylized fold on the shoulder as it matches the width of the maille 'weave' in the sculpted pieces, not a partial representation of a coat of plates; but then again Effigies are always a little bit of a rorschach test for what one sees peeking out of that surcoat.

...the whole armour fits to the time around 1340-45 and to the region, i.e. southwestern Germany and the Alsace. There was a very similar effigy of the Huernheim-family in Klosterzimmern abbey, which is now lost because it was illegally sold by the owner. It also showed a pointed fauld or better said a pointed coat of plates. Take a look at the pictures...

Cheers, Timm

---

 Attachment: 93.38 KB



 Attachment: 165.69 KB